Made to Beg

by Piper Stone

  “I need to speak with you.” I knew he’d recognize my voice. Why not be pleasant at this point? I almost snickered at the thought.

  “Fuck. Goddamn it,” he exclaimed.

  When he threw open the door, I was surprised at his disheveled appearance. Even from where I stood, I could see the kitchen table was covered in files and papers, a laptop positioned in the middle. “Agent Fox.”

  “What the fuck do you want, Francesco? You have a lot of balls coming to my house unless you’re ready to turn yourself in,” he stated in a demanding tone.

  “And you damn well know that no one in my organization had anything to do with the death of that kid. Not our style.”

  He hesitated, glaring at my open jacket. “As if you have a style. Christ. Did you come here to kill me? That’s ballsy even for a monster like you.”

  I took a deep breath, thinking about how to respond. “I suggest you allow me inside, David, unless you want your neighbors to hear our conversation, especially since I think you’re a dirty agent.” When he hesitated, I laughed.

  “Fuck you. I’m not dirty.”

  “Not what I’ve heard and if I wanted you dead, Agent Fox, your body would already be in the morgue.”

  Hissing, he opened the door wider, allowing me inside. His house was certainly nothing special; what little furniture he had was basically threadbare. If he was on the take, his money was certainly going elsewhere. Offshore accounts were a distinct possibility, although my gut told me that if he’d been compromised, he was a low-level player at most. FBI agents were never trusted, no matter how much money oiled their palms. Another lesson my father had taught me.

  Then again, David was a smart man, cunning in ways that reminded me of myself. There was more behind his hazel eyes and cheap clothing.

  “Say your piece, Francesco, and get the fuck out. I have business to handle.”

  I walked into the living room, my eyes catching a single and recent photograph of Sierra on the end table housed in a beautiful carved frame. As soon as he noticed my gaze, he snarled.

  “What do you want?” he demanded.

  “I would suggest that you remain cordial with me, especially given the fact that your daughter’s blood was found on the victim in the horrific stabbing in Fuller Park.”

  He seemed horrified that I knew, immediately trying to cover up his surprise. “That’s bullshit. What kind of crap are you trying to sell me? Is this some kind of a cover-up?”

  I closed the distance until we were inches apart. I towered over him, also outweighing him by a solid forty pounds. He certainly didn’t seem to have the same bravado that he’d had during the times he’d been the one to arrest me. “I assure you that I have no need to cover up any actions I determine are necessary. Now, you are well aware of the influential connections that I have. Yes?” I didn’t wait for him to answer, crowding his space even more. “I’m certain that you are. I suggest that you and I speak the truth. Never forget. I have very powerful friends who would do anything I asked of them. Anything. They wouldn’t take kindly to hearing that you’re working with Axel Movino.”

  He swallowed visibly, finally nodding. “Fine. Whatever. Just get to your damn point.”

  I took a decided step backwards, lifting the photograph into my hand. “She’s a lovely girl.”

  “Leave her out of this. She had nothing to do with this case.”

  Had. I noticed the word immediately. I’d been able to smell liquor on his breath, which surprised the fuck out of me. Even his hands were shaking. What had he gotten himself in the middle of?

  “Unfortunately, that’s not what the Chicago police department believes. I realize that you’ve already pulled the case from them, but you seem to forget that Senator Spalding is a very good friend of the police commissioner. I would suspect that the good senator is breathing down his buddy’s neck in order to solve this case quickly. I would also imagine that your superiors will get a load of wrath for the manner in which you yanked the case from under their noses, spewing accusations without evidence. Lastly, I’m going to venture a guess that Chicago’s finest are eager to talk with Sierra. While she might not be an actual suspect, although who knows what anyone is capable of, she’s certain to have valuable information. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  Another moment of surprise crossed his face. “That’s a load of crap. My daughter wasn’t a killer. She did nothing wrong. She’s a... good girl.” David was coming unraveled before my eyes. Why all the damn past tenses? Had he received notification of something about her? Had one of my men betrayed me?

  “What are you doing with Movino?”

  He wrung his hands, taking gulping breaths. “He came to see me, some bullshit about the fact the city was going to see a significant change and that I needed to make certain the FBI looked the other way. I laughed in his face. That’s when he threatened Sierra.”

  I honestly believed what he was telling me.

  I bristled and did everything I could to keep my anger controlled. “You should have gone straight to my father instead of attempting to handle this on your own. Sadly, that ship has sailed so here’s how we’re going to play this.” I gave him a huge smile. “You no longer have to worry about Sierra. I own your daughter. She belongs to me now. In fact, she came to me for help. In return, she gave up her... life to be with me. I will do everything in my power to protect her, but that means that you will drop all the bullshit about my family being involved. If you do not, she will pay the price and given how much time you’ve spent attempting to incriminate my family, you are well aware of my sadistic tactics. I suggest you agree to the terms of the deal. Call it a family olive branch.”

  His eyes flashed, the emotions unlike anything I’d ever seen in him. Within two seconds, he lunged forward, able to knock me against the end table. As the lamp came crashing to the floor, he thrust his hands around my neck. The man was foaming at the mouth.

  “How fucking dare you! You horrible monster,” he exclaimed as he attempted to beat my head against the wall. “You did this! You’re responsible, not the pig, Movino. I will kill you!”

  I grabbed him around the neck, easily flipping him over, my fingers ready to crush his windpipe if necessary. What the hell was the man babbling about? “That’s not in your best interest.”

  “Fuck you! Why would you come here and say that bullshit to me? I will ruin you and your family if it’s the last thing I do on this earth.”

  His eyes were now wild, and he continued to flail even as I pressed down, cutting off his air supply. He was obviously hyped up on adrenaline, boosting his strength. I yanked him onto his feet, my grip remaining. There was a blankness in his eyes, haunted in a way I only witnessed when a man was about to face his maker. “What the hell are you talking about? Sierra came to me of her own free will. She felt I was the only one to be able to protect her. What I need to know is why did Axel Movino want Lucas Spalding dead? What did he find that pushed Axel to the limit?”

  “I have no idea.” He was even more wide-eyed, his mouth twisting in horror.

  “Don’t throw that shit into my face. You know exactly what I’m talking about and I suspect you did agree to Movino’s terms. That’s why I will protect your daughter if you cooperate.”

  “Well, you fucking failed! You couldn’t protect her. My sweet baby.”

  I stared at him, trying to figure out what the hell he was getting at. A nagging feeling pooled into the pit of my stomach. “I didn’t fail.”

  “Then you killed her! You struck the match. Did she deny you? Did she realize that you’re nothing but a monster?”

  The words hit me hard in the gut. I loosened my grip, his words echoing in my ears. I was suddenly sick to my stomach. The man wasn’t acting. He was utterly despondent. “Talk to me. What the fuck are you saying?”

  He managed to jerk away, storming into the kitchen. I trailed behind him, my heart racing.

  His entire body was shaking as he grabbed what appeared to be a ph
otograph from his stack of papers, throwing it in my face. “She’s dead. My baby girl is dead!”

  The photograph was of a burned-out car, but given the closeness of the shot, it was easy to see the outline of a body. I was stunned, unable to breathe. There was no way. None. She couldn’t be gone. “What. The. Fuck.”

  “That is my daughter’s car, you asshole. She was burned alive. Why would you do that? Why? She’s dead. My baby is dead, and I have no doubt you had something to do with it. No matter what it takes, Francesco, I will bring you down.”

  * * *

  Death.

  I’d been surrounded by death since I was ten years old, my father taking me to what he called justice, the execution-style shooting of one of his most trusted soldiers. I’ll never forget the initial wretched feeling in my stomach, creating a wave of nausea. Until that very day I hadn’t fully understood just how powerful my father truly was.

  Our family had experienced loss, the horror years before almost splitting my mother and father apart. Now this.

  Facing the concept of Sierra’s death wasn’t something I was used to. I’d never allowed myself to care about anyone. There’d been no woman who’d crept into my heart, clawing to remove the armor. Even friends remained at arm’s length. That was the way of our family.

  In order to remain intact and in full control.

  And very much alone.

  This was another reality my father had shoved into my mind. If I didn’t give a fuck about anyone, I’d never feel a sense of loss. There’d been no pets allowed when Stefan and I were young. There was also little laughter, holidays filled with tears from my mother, my father spending time away from the family.

  I’d known why, but the pain it caused my brother and me wasn’t easily forgotten. Why the hell was I going down memory lane? My past had nothing to do with what was happening now.

  “Everything you do will shape your future, Lorenzo. Make certain you make wise choices.”

  The words of my mother burned in the back of my mind. I’d had few of my own choices in the early days. This was my time. This was my kingdom.

  I snickered at the thought. What was a kingdom without a queen?

  While I refused to believe that Sierra had been taken from me through careless measures, my stomach remained in knots.

  “Goddamn it. Answer the fucking phone!” I bellowed as the damn call went straight to voicemail. Again. There was no way Sierra had gotten away from Dante and been able to get to her car. None.

  And still, I hadn’t been able to stop shaking from the adrenaline coursing through my veins or the paralyzing fear. I raced around the curves, tires squealing, heading first in the direction of my house. Then I realized that without knowing whether or not Sierra was alive, I wouldn’t be able to make the kinds of decisions I was required to do in order to keep the situation from turning into a firestorm.

  If she’d managed to get away from my most trusted soldier, I had to grasp the concept that she could have been playing me all along and that Dante was dead. Why? Was there an entirely different connection that she had with Axel or with whomever was pulling the puppet strings? I had no way of knowing until I talked with her.

  If I was so lucky.

  Fuck. My mind was all over the place, unable to piece together a decent plan.

  What troubled me the most was the way her father had reacted to my harsh statement. He was a man fully entrenched in the belief that his daughter had been killed.

  And he was certain I was to blame even though Axel had been the one to threaten her life.

  No man was that good of an actor. David had been given some kind of evidence in order to believe such a heinous act could have been performed.

  I sped through the streets, my grip on the steering wheel so tight my knuckles were white. That matched the searing white-hot blaze burning deep within. There were too many unanswered questions and every one of them had Axel smack in the middle. With my father in the hospital and my brother on his death bed, I had to turn to someone I could trust not to fuck up my world.

  Michael.

  My choice would be looked at as a flaw, some of my men uncertain of my state of mind. They had no idea just how much was at stake. The Francesco organization stood to lose millions if the next decisions weren’t handled with the utmost care.

  So fuck ‘em.

  I knew what I had to do.

  I dialed the number, trying to maneuver the road as I headed for the interstate, weaving in and out of traffic. I was sick inside, my instincts screaming the setup had been designed specifically to put me in this predicament. The only element of surprise I had was working with the Sons of Darkness. I felt confident that if I made a single request, the wrath of God would converge on the city within a matter of hours. But taking comfort in that realization held no merit at this point.

  “Michael.” I heard the glitch in my voice, the extreme angst that could become overwhelming.

  “What’s wrong?” Michael asked, on edge immediately.

  “I need your help.”

  “Anything, my friend.”

  “I need you to take over my organization for a short duration.” This was more than I’d suggested during dinner with the members of the alliance.

  There was a hesitation in the conversation followed by a deep sigh. “What you’re asking is unprecedented and could lead to serious ramifications within your ranks,” Michael stated in a quiet voice.

  Tell me something I didn’t know. “I’m fully aware and will handle the aftermath. I have no choice.” I briefly told him what was going on, giving him a portion of my keys to the kingdom. He would coordinate with Angelo, staying out of sight. Unless things got out of hand. He would merely be a presence in my world, refusing to allow either my soldiers to go astray or any of my clients who had requirements to fulfill.

  He would also pay attention to rumors on the city streets.

  Then there was the shipment arriving in the morning at the Port of Chicago. If the ship wasn’t met, the finances handled, an acceleration of my family’s demise would begin. And I had my doubts that I’d be able to turn the tide, allowing for the Movinos to sweep in.

  Perhaps this is what the asshole had in mind the entire time. This was one of the largest shipments we’d commissioned, millions of dollars at stake, more important than ever given the others had pulled out. I growled as I tossed the phone onto the passenger seat, rubbing my jaw as I tried to imagine what my father would say. At this point, I couldn’t worry about his chastisement. Trusting Michael would be a true test of our alliance.

  Faith I didn’t have.

  Trust was long gone.

  But honor still remained, something I knew the Cappalinis held close to their hearts.

  I made a second call to Angelo, hissing when it took three rings before he answered. “What the hell have you been doing?”

  “I... I’m sorry, boss. I went to see Vincenzo. I’m just leaving the hospital,” he answered.

  I sucked in my breath, furious with myself. I had to calm the fuck down. “How is he?”

  “He’s awake and doing fine. Barking about getting out.” His laugh sounded hollow. “I checked on Mr. Francesco as well.”

  “And?”

  “He’s pissed. Said he tried to call you.”

  Yeah, I’d ignored the three calls on purpose. “And my brother?”

  I could tell by his hesitation that the news wasn’t good. “Sorry, boss. Nothing has changed.”

  “All right. Fine. Look, there is a man by the name of Michael Cappalini who will be checking with you on the street activity. You’re going to give him the same level of respect that you’re required to give me.”

  “I... Of course, boss. Where are you going?”

  “Out of town. Should only be a day. Just make certain that the streets are running as required. Do you understand me?” I was already second-guessing my decision regarding Michael. Heads would roll for this shit.

  At least I knew Angelo would follow o
rders, even though questions would be difficult to avoid within a short period of time. I had less than twenty-four hours before all hell broke loose.

  The only thing I could do was make the nearly three-hour trip to Galena. I’d purchased a cabin there years before, a quiet getaway in a location no one would suspect. Even my father had no idea of the actual location. He had a getaway himself, something he’d taught me early on was important to have. I’d scoured the internet, settling on the cabin without driving to the location. I’d learned that being in the serene location had allowed me some concept of peace, even as infrequently as I’d been there. Safety would always be a concern; the ability to retreat with limited security issues imperative.

  There’d been multiple assassination attempts over the years, but none so blatant as the recent atrocity. I would turn over every craggy rock to find out every player involved.

  I glanced at the clock after leaving the city. It was already after ten. Tomorrow was an important day. I cringed, my blood boiling from being placed in this position.

  Within thirty minutes I encountered snow-covered roads, the heavy precipitation making driving treacherous. At least I’d selected the four-wheel-drive Dodge Ram on this cold spring night. I’d also brought a heavy amount of firepower, capable of annihilating an entire army if necessary. Maybe my instinct had remained intact, prepared for anything. I had no idea what I would do if Dante and Sierra weren’t secluded away in the rustic cabin, merely waiting for the storm to end.

  Perhaps begin a war of my own.

  Everything was a blur. The business. All the hard work I’d performed over the last few years in order to continue building the organization. The fact I’d been very much alone for so many years, refusing to believe I needed anyone in my life. Now, everything seemed clear, as if all the choices had been stripped away, leaving me forced to face the truth.

  My father’s harsh tactics had to end. The world of the mafia had changed during the last fifteen years and a man like my father refused to accept or move into the future. He preferred the old ways, caustic and barbaric in nature. Even the influential friends on our payroll required more money than before, their fear of being exposed more significant than their worry about what we would do to either them or their families.