by Leigh Kenzie
A roar erupts from my chest, and this time the boys are trying to hold me back while Ignacio holds Alice. A part of me deep inside knows I need to continue questioning her. I need to know who else is involved. But all I can think of is payback…avenging my father.
I’m lost trying to force the boys to let me go when all of a sudden, I hear a high-pitched scream. It freezes the boys long enough for me to get through them. I stand above the body of my mother, watching the blood seep out of her throat and coat the floor. Ignacio goes to try and save her, but there’s no use. I look over and see my zia with a letter opener dangling from her hand. The drip of blood goes unnoticed by her as her eyes stay frozen on her sister-in-law. My uncle approaches cautiously and sends a scowl my way as he pries the letter opener from her and drops it on the floor. I step forward quietly and take her into my arms, letting her tears soak my suit, and the blood on her hand transfers to me. I murmur quiet words of compassion before I hand her back to my uncle. I bow my head to him, and they pass silently. I know they’ll need time. I can only hope my mother’s betrayal that happened will not ruin the rest of the family that’s left.
“Alright. Ignacio and Antonio, it’s your turn for cleanup. I’m heading back to the office. It sounds like I need to go find some rats,” I comment quietly, unwilling to let this stop me, and then follow Luca out of the room, calmly stepping over Alice. The butler averts his eyes when he sees us, and I’m sure the blood staining my suit makes the reason for today’s visit clear. I look forward to getting into the limo and going home.
As always Luca steps out first to check our surroundings. After being given the all-clear sign, I go to exit, but instead of having him behind me, I draw Emilio close. I need his presence at the moment. While he doesn’t lose the edge of watchfulness, his body goes completely lax with me. The knowledge I control him absolutely lets me breathe again.
I’m thankful the driver is waiting at the bottom of the steps leading to the limo after we step outside. I can’t wait to get home. However, I do worry about my aunt, so I turn to talk to Luca. I’m just about to give him the command, and next thing I know, I’m crumpling to the ground. I feel my body hit the marble, a sharp burning pain, a blow to my head, and then nothing.
Chapter Forty
“DOWN! GET DOWN!”
“Fuck!”
All of a sudden, I’m on the ground. It doesn’t stop me, though. I try to crawl to Master, despite Luca’s body pushing down on me. He curls his large hand around the back of my neck and pushes it tighter against the cold marble, forcing me to stop. It’s then that I realize the keening noise I was hearing was coming from me. I try to throw his weight off, but I can’t, and I resort to whimpers.
“Stay down. I can’t worry about you, too,” Luca hisses in my ear.
I’m not sure how long we wait like that. But even as I try to move my hand to reach out, Luca won’t let me. Nothing makes sense. We should have been safe here. This is one of their properties, damn it! And what the fuck is going on with being shot?!
“All clear!”
Finally—fucking finally—Luca draws his body off me, but it’s too slow, and as soon as his weight is partially gone, I’m scrambling forward. It doesn’t take too long before I’m at Master’s side. I blanch at the sight of his blood.
I slide out of my suit jacket and notice that Master must have gone down on his side. He’s rolled over on his back now. I can see that the round went into his arm, maybe his chest, although I can’t tell with all the blood there. It’s the blood seeping out onto the stairs from his head that terrifies me. He must have hit it hard, and I’m terrified there will be damage. We need to get him to the hospital, somewhere he can get help.
“Call 911!” I urge Luca.
“We don’t do that,” Luca responds tightly. “Dr. Conti needs to take a look at him.”
“We don’t have time for that! Please! I can’t let anything happen to him,” I plead, looking at Master, willing him to be alright.
“Doctor, we have a problem. We’ve got Il Padrone here, injured. Looks like two gunshot wounds, arm, and torso. And a head wound,” Luca says grimly. I didn’t even notice him reach for his cellphone.
“We’re at Jamison Street. I don’t want to move him, but he needs help, and I’m not sure where we can meet you en route. What’re our options?” Luca asks, but I can’t hear whatever is being said on the other end.
“What? Thank fuck. Get ready. Ask the butler to show you,” Luca snaps. He hangs up while muttering under his breath.
“Jimmy! Get the fuck over here!”
I watch the limo driver run up from where he was still hiding and kneel by Luca. His face pales, and I watch as he crosses himself. I want to yell at him. I want to tell him to stop. Master is going to be fine, and he needs to get it together. We can’t all break. I barely make out the sounds of the conversation before Master is being lifted up, and I scramble to assist, cradling his head. I’m surprised as we walk back into his aunt and uncle’s until I hear Dr. Conti’s voice calling out orders.
“I don’t even want to think about why every house of his I visit has a torture room and a hospital room, but come on. Get him in here,” Dr. Conti yells out from down the hall. I’m shocked when we go in that it actually does look like what I’d expect an operating room to look like. We’re not even there long before Ignacio, Antonio, and Marcus all try to get in the room.
“Stop! You know everything needs to be kept sterilized,” Dr. Conti bellows as he starts cutting off Master’s clothes. “Now get out of here. All of you.”
I watch as the rest of them hesitate before turning to leave, but there’s something I hear in the doctor’s voice. The others must not hear it or see the slight calculation in the doctor’s eyes, but I do. I can’t mess with him as he starts to take Master’s clothes off, but I get as close to him as I can.
“If you lose him, don’t think this gets you out of your job. Whatever he threatened you with? I will do even worse if you lose him purposely. If you lose him accidentally, I will tie you to this position for so long you’ll no longer remember your name and life. Your best hope is him living because he has mercy—I don’t.”
I hear the shocked intake of Dr. Conti’s breath and the loud silence from behind me. It doesn’t stop me and I don’t turn away.
“You really think there’s anything you can do worse than killing my 5-year-old sister?” Dr. Conti asks incredulously.
“Absolutely. I’m sure I can be very creative. Like killing her entire family except you. Raising her in this organization only to dump her into the whore house when she’s old enough. Fuck, maybe even making you her first client. Is that sick enough for you? I’m sure given years I’d have plenty of time to make you really suffer.”
“You’re disgusting,” Dr. Conti responds hotly.
“And you’re on a fucking clock. Take care of my master,” I retort, not looking away from his eyes that tell me everything I need to know. The bastard would have let my master die.
“Ignacio, you did a good job last time. Get ready to help,” Dr. Conti snaps out. “The rest of you get the fuck out and let me do my job.”
I trade places with Ignacio and walk out of the room. My feet feel like they’re in concrete shoes with each step I take. I don’t want to leave, but I have to trust I got through to him. By the time the rest of us are in the hallway, I’m amped up on adrenaline again, needing to do something, anything.
“Would you really do that?” Antonio whispers, looking at me in horror.
“I am not weak. I will do whatever the fuck it takes to make our master safe.”
Antonio turns on his heel and takes off. For someone supposedly loyal, I don’t see his draw. Marcus doesn’t appear upset with me, but he hesitates before looking to Luca for guidance.
“Go. Get Antonio. Find me who did this. Look for Eamon as that’s who Alice has been working with. I’ll let you know as soon as we have information.”
Finally, it’s the two of
us. Nobody else is around, and I can breathe at least a bit. I wish I could say I scared myself, too, but I can’t. My time with Master has twisted my soul, and I know it, accept it, and fucking embrace it. I will not lose him.
“It’s okay,” Luca murmurs to me, touching my shoulder gently. “He’s going to be alright.”
“I know,” I reply quietly as I lean heavily against the white walls, sliding down until I hit the floor. The worry is too much for me to handle while standing up now that there’s nothing I can do.
“He’d be proud of you. You did the right thing,” Luca whispers as he crouches down by me. I’m not sure why he thinks I am struggling, but I let it go. I let go of the fact that all of them seem to think I am weak. They’ll learn eventually.
“Do you need to go look in on his aunt and uncle? I’m sure they need to be notified, as well, about the clusterfuck going on,” I reply, ignoring everything else. I know Il Padrone would want his business to be run, he’d want vengeance, and having both of us here doing nothing doesn’t help.
I see the understanding dawn in Luca’s eyes, and the mild disapproval before he hides it. He gives me a tight nod before he stands up again. I can tell he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. Instead, he looks at me for a beat of silence and then leaves.
Now I wait. I wait for the news that can either piece me back together, blackness and all, or tear me apart into a million pieces. Whoever did this should fear me either way. Whole or broken, I will have my revenge on them. Nobody takes what is mine, and although Master owns me, nobody can take my place because he’s mine too. We protect our own. Always.
Chapter Forty-One
I’m not sure how long I’ve been waiting. My ass is numb from sitting on the floor. I’ve alternated between sitting and pacing. I’ve probably had too much coffee at this point, courtesy of the butler who comes and goes. Allesandro’s aunt and uncle have stopped by a couple times. I can tell his aunt is falling deeper into shock, so they don’t come by often. His uncle told me if I needed anything to let him know. I’m sure he’s the one who made sure the cook forces me to eat, but all I can really do is stare at that door.
Antonio entered the hallway once, but as soon as he saw me, he turned around, quickly, leaving for his area. I can’t believe he’s that much of a coward. Marcus has at least tried to comfort me, even if it’s awkward. I want Ignacio, but he’s doing what’s best and helping Dr. Conti. I’m slowly going out of mind waiting for any news. I want to burst through the door and demand they tell me what’s going on. I want to beg them to tell me Master will be okay. It’s getting harder and harder to hold myself back.
“Hey, come on. Let’s go for a walk,” Luca says, startling me.
“What the fuck?” I sputter as I look at him crouched down next to me.
“You were zoned out,” he huffs, pointing out the obvious. “Come on. We won’t go far. I need to talk with you.”
I slowly drag myself up, my legs feeling like rubber. Luca makes a sound of impatience and grabs my arm, slinging it over his shoulder as he mutters. When I finally have my balance, he steps away, and I follow him down the corridor. I want to demand answers, but I keep quiet. My head is spinning too fast.
“Look, I want to get us on the same page. I’m his second, but you’re his advisor. We need to work together to manage this situation. No matter how much we care about him, this company needs to come first.”
I stare at him, shocked. I always thought they were close, and yet Luca is just willing to walk away from Master and worse, ask me to walk? I close my eyes and try to shut down a voice that threatens mutiny since I know Luca outranks me. By the time I open my eyes again, I can really see the lines in Luca’s face, the stress and exhaustion he’s carrying. I’m sure Antonio has been no help, and with Ignacio in the room saving Master’s life, he’s already down two people. Master would find it unacceptable, so I nod my head and pull myself up tall.
“What do you need, Sir?” I ask and watch his lips try to smile. Neither of us feels it, but I appreciate his approval, even if it’s slight.
“I’ve done everything I can. We know there are players other than Alice. However, I’m getting nowhere with the Irish. It’s clear that Eamon is somehow involved, at least enough for Alice to know and refer to him. We need to reach out, but with Allesandro…unavailable...we don’t have our usual leverage. However, there’s one play we could make...”
“Me,” I surmise, and I see him nod carefully. My stomach turns. I really don’t want to pretend to care about Brendan and Eamon. Especially since Eamon is part of the reason why my master is lying on an operating table.
“How do we play this?” I ask, blowing out a breath in resignation.
“First, you need to take a shower and put on clean clothes. The butler has them laid out in a guest room.”
“What? Why the fuck does that matter?” I demand, confusion coloring every word.
“Because I need you to come across confident, and right now, you’re scattered. I’m giving you a very short period to get your shit together so we can avenge Il Padrone and offer him their heads.”
Even though I can’t fault his logic, I find myself hesitating. Before I leave, I ask, “You’ll wait?”
With his nod of agreement, I find myself walking down the hallway and meeting the butler who shows me the rest of the way. Right before I turn the corner, I glance back and am reassured that Luca hasn’t left, he’s standing right in front of that door like he can will it open with his mind. If only that were possible.
Chapter Forty-Two
As much as I hate to admit it, Luca is right. The shower helped my fragmented mind. My soul is still sick over not knowing if Master will live, but I’m ready to proceed. With quick strides, I make it to Master’s office and only hesitate briefly before pushing the door open. At first, I questioned why Master would have an office here, but as Luca pointed out the mansion technically belongs to the Family, and since the whores are here, Master needs a place to work at times. I see Luca is in there already, and as I go to open my mouth, he gestures for me to be silent.
“Marcus is waiting for news on Allesandro. I was told when you finished in the shower—and no, I have zero ideas about how the butler knew. I need to be here to get this set up for you. I’m making it a video call so you can see Brendan’s face and read any of his body language. We need to know if he’s working with Eamon.”
I nod sharply. I have to believe that Marcus cares for Master. I wait as Luca sets everything up and then steps back. I inhale carefully, trying to calm my rapid breathing. Without giving myself any time to waver, I hit the call button.
“Hello,” Brendan’s distinct voice answers. At first, there is no video, and I cast a panicked look at Luca. His frustration is obvious, I’m not sure if it’s with me or the Irish boss.
“Brother,” I respond calmly, “I would like to see you. Will you turn on the video?”
I hear shuffling and tighten my hands in my lap before letting them go. I try to force myself to relax. If I’m going to be reading his body language, then I know he’s going to be reading mine. Finally, his face fills the screen.
“I’m surprised to hear from you, brother, especially so respectfully,” Brendan replies cautiously. His deep green eyes are narrowed, and it hits me, this is one feature we share. I tuck away my recognition at our eye color and shape away in my mind to think about later.
I give a small incline of my head before meeting those eyes again. It isn’t comfortable to address the situation, but I suppose accusing his true brother never will be simple. I can only hope that he’s receptive.
“Some information came to light today and combined with a...situation...I needed to get hold of you. I’m concerned,” I can barely make my voice louder than a whisper.
I watch Brendan’s face become completely serious. His lips pull-down, and his eyes narrow at me. Just like I did, he takes a calming breath. I open my emotions to him. It’s the only way I can make him understand.
“What’s going on?” Brendan responds seriously. I appreciate his demeanor, and it helps me relax, even knowing the next part will be hard.
“We were given information. We found out who was behind me almost dying—both times. When my brother killed my mom, I was supposed to be the target,” I cringe, but Brendan’s reaction is far stronger. His face flushes with fury, and I almost lean back before I remember this is video.
“Who?” he snarls.
“This person was very reliable. I want you to understand that. We were told it was Eamon.”
I watch Brendan’s shock and denial. He shakes his head, fast enough to tousle his deep red hair. As he goes to object, I cut him off.
“There’s more,” I state quickly, “And I tell you this out of respect. It’s not something we’re advertising, brother. Allesandro was shot. Twice. He’s currently in surgery, and we’re waiting for word on his condition. He had procedures in place for this, though. Luca has taken over in the meantime. I wanted—no, needed—to contact you, to warn you. We were told Eamon was going to try and take over, and since Allesandro was shot…” I let my voice trail off.
I can see Brendan lose all color in his face. I’m not sure if it’s because of Allesandro being shot or if it’s the idea it truly can be Eamon. I’m not given the opportunity to really think about it because all of a sudden, I hear gunshots. At first, I look at Luca, thinking they may be here, but he’s pushing me out of the way to get to the camera.
“Get out of there! Now!” he shouts at Brendan who is grabbing his gun.