Sausalito Nights (Montgomery Beauty Book 1)

by Stephanie Salvatore

“We can’t protect you when you bow out, Lorelai.” Armani snapped.

  Luciana rolled her eyes. “Armani! She’s not going to be excluded from the family or the protection we can provide. Don’t listen to him. He clearly didn’t read the clause correctly.”

  “We don’t turn our backs on family, Luciana. Turning the business away is doing just that…” Armani snapped back, the fury in his eyes intensifying.

  The door opened, and our father appeared in a black robe with my mother. “It’s time Lorelai.” I heard him say and stood up to follow my parents to their office. My father unlocked a secret door in his bookshelf that led us to an enclosed staircase. When we arrived at the bottom, we were outside one dock away from the back entrance to the Black Diamond Club. Swallowing hard, I looked at my mother, fear filling my eyes.

  “It’s okay, Lor. Go ahead, I’m right behind you.”

  I did as I was told and followed her until we reached one specific yacht. Boarding, I was led inside to the lower level. Every passage way we went through, there was a code to enter. My father had this operation under lock and key, but somehow I wasn’t surprised.

  Arriving to the unknown destination, Mother stripped my clothes off, and placed me in a silk red robe behind a removable wall and took my hand, bringing me out to a wooden circular table. Candles were lit around the contract handwritten by my father in an off-white scroll paper, burnt at its edges. I shuddered at the image, the burns of the paper told me one thing, this paper was fireproof. There was no burning of this agreement.

  Picking up the calligraphy pen slowly, I bit my lower lip before I signed my name with the feather ink pen. I dotted the I’s and crossed my T’s as if I was really crossing my heart and hoping to die if I acted out of conduct according to the fireproof contract.

  “Let’s get started, shall we?” My father paused. “This agreement says that you Lorelai Sienna Castillo have agreed to not join the Castillo Syndicate. If you change your mind, you will have to plead your case on why you’ve changed your mind. Depending on the situation, it will either be decided by me or come down to a vote from the family. Neither is your decision. There is a Castillo Family ritual ceremony. When you opt out, I burn this lovely black iron stencil of flocking birds into your right forearm, and you will follow immediately by getting a tattoo of these birds on the opposed arm. It’s how we’ve identified family members for centuries. Once the ritual is over, you aren’t to step foot into Black Diamond territory under any circumstances unless you are with a member or it’s approved prior to the visit. Anything you’ve witnessed up to this point will not be spoken of to anyone outside of our family, do you agree to these terms Lorelai?”

  Horrified. I was absolutely horrified that this was even proposed as a family ritual. If you were in, you still endured the pain; only after it was over, you were entered into a brutal training course. I had to take on the pain and the emotional toll of walking in an unknown direction. No matter what path it was, I would have to walk around for the rest of my life with a scar of flocking birds on one arm and a tattoo of them on the other, and I didn’t get a choice in the matter?

  How was this happening? I hesitated as I felt my parent’s eyes beaming down over me. They would have loved nothing more than for me to give into their lives, but I couldn’t. To my parents, I knew that the family business was a lifetime commitment. They had organized crime down pat to the tips of their fingers, paying people a percentage of the money coming in and a set amount for each task a member completed. Between Uncle Thad, my dad, and Uncle Matteo [Marie’s father], they were three of the richest men in the world, building their fame off of the world class Black Diamond Casinos. I knew the major details, that the business went widespread in Las Vegas with my great grandfather. I also knew the Black Diamond name brand was spread to strip clubs and into the Castillo Yacht Clubs, which had also spread throughout America all the way to the East Coast. I knew being a Castillo would get me out of trouble if I ever got into any and that we had connections to pull strings in high places, but I didn’t want any part of their connections. I wanted nothing to do with the organized crimes; because in the end, I would get pulled down with them when they were finally caught. My brother was educated well on the business and his claim is that we have family on the inside of the law. Uncle Lorenzo, who is the youngest of my father’s brothers, is only ten years older than me and hit the ground running with his law firm because of our last name.

  Coming back to the present, my parents still stood there looking at me. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with…” I whispered.

  My father nodded, moving to gather his supplies. I tried to ignore what he was doing as I knew what was coming. Mom took me to the gurney bed and sat me down.

  “Lie down,” Mother whispered. She sat next to me lying on the bed. I remember Armani and Luciana telling me not to look when the ritual was happening and that the smell of the burning flesh alone would make me want to run screaming.

  I watched my father put the proper protection on in order not to hurt himself, opening the incinerator built of hot flames as he clamped the iron bottom to the flat magnetic field on the end of the wooden stick. Armani was right. I couldn’t look. The more I realized that this was going to hurt, the more nauseated I became.

  Mom pulled the restraints around my chest, legs, and around my waist before attaching a ball gag to my mouth to muffle the inevitable screams. Anxiety and vulnerability came down all at once, feeling my breath get caught in my throat. I inhaled deep breaths through my nose and closed my eyes as Mom tied my arms to the railing of the bed, and I grasped a tight hold onto the bars. I heard my father’s almost silent footsteps coming toward me. His hand slid over mine, and he whispered, “Take a deep breath, Lorelai,” before he pressed the iron stencil against my skin. Gasping loudly, I gritted my teeth into the gag as the iron burned into my skin, only to follow the extremely foul smell of my own burnt flesh filling the room quickly.

  A panting cry left my throat as my mother tried comfort me by rubbing a hand up and down my thigh. “Shhh…it’s almost over.”

  I opened my eyes to watch. I didn’t want my parents to think I couldn’t handle it; but when I saw the heat rising from my skin, that’s when the realization of humiliation and disgust kicked in. This was the exact reason I needed to do this, so that someday, when I met the man of my dreams, my children would never go through this. I would protect them from my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles… hell that pretty much covered it. No one associated or related to the damn Castillos would come near my family and this was my only option to ensure their safety.

  When he lifted the iron stamp, he proceeded to spray the burnt skin with a spray that seemed to take the immediate sting away and wrapped my arm in gauze. Once the burn was wrapped, he placed my arm back at my side and removed the ball gag. “How are you holding up, sweetheart?”

  I opened my eyes to look up at my parents both at my side. “I’m okay,” I lied. It hurt like a son of a bitch and how I would hide the burn now crossed my mind. A panicked state of mind intensified every other thought running through my mind. What would the kids at school think? I couldn’t wear a bandage or long sleeves every day. I would have to suck it up, act as if it wasn’t there, and play dumb if someone asked. I wanted to run and hide, never to be seen again and I couldn’t. I wasn’t that much of a coward.

  ‘It’s a birth mark…’ I could probably get away with that as an excuse.

  “Good. I’ll give you a few minutes to rest while I get the sketch together.” Dad spoke quietly while Mom moved to the other side of the bed to set up the supplies he would need.

  Mom removed the restraints, she gave me a glass of water, rubbing a hand on my back. Lying there waiting for this entire process to finish, I thought about the life my parents led. They were the jack of all trades, but not heroes in the least bit. They ran a military for organized crime; and you were either a thousand percent in, or you weren’t, the in between was a daunting ugly death.

 
As the roaring buzz of the tattoo gun came to life and pierced my skin, I watched as he carefully outlined the flocking birds and realized that this was always an easy decision for me. The risk of taking on a role in the family business meant I would have to marry an underdog working under my father, we would follow into my parents’ footsteps, and there wouldn’t be an easy way to escape without bad blood shed. I knew I didn’t want that. I would take my chances by flipping the coin to the other side into the unknown, unplanned future.

  What did I want? I didn’t know for sure, but maybe this summer or the year coming up would allow me to figure it all out.

  Once the tattoo was finished, he sprayed the anti-sting spray and wrapped it up. “Your mother will give you instructions on how to take care of that and, once she does, you’re all done and free to go.”

  I nodded and watched him leave without another word while Mom cleaned up after him. There was never a word muttered, let alone a question from her. She did as my father said, without a squander. In some ways, I wondered if she was happy with it this way. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she kept her mouth shut to keep him from becoming angry, or she feared him herself.

  Sitting up after she walked away to go clean the supplies up, I followed after a moment. “Mama?” I asked quietly.

  “Yes, Lorelai?” she said as she discarded the bloody gauze and used needles into the proper container.

  “Are you happy with Dad?”

  She turned to look at me promptly. “Of course I am. Why would you ask such a question?”

  I opened my mouth trying to speak and a muttered groan of pain left my lips. Inhaling a deep breath, I tried once more...“This life you live, it seems to be one-sided, and directive from one side.”

  “What your father says goes, Lorelai. I don’t question it, and neither should you.”

  I guess I had my answer. She was obedient and stuck in her ways with him, and nothing would ever change because it was all she knew. Or perhaps it was the luxuries that came with being a Castillo wife. She tagged along, and learned the ropes so she could be a trainer, go to all the black tie events they hosted, and be the gossip queen of their kingdom here in Sausalito. I rolled my eyes at the thought, and silently made my way out realizing this may have been one of the last times I was allowed in here; but I knew what I wasn’t getting myself into, now it was time to meditate. Find out what Lorelai wanted and gun for it.

  New Beginnings and a Coffee IV, Stat!

  Christopher

  Today was the day. The Montgomery’s were leaving out of Oroville to start a new adventure. Dad drove the family car while Nana and Papa followed, and the moving truck trailed behind us. Our moving train worked its way through the town. I had no attachments to this place nor the people in it. Memories of growing up here brought nothing but stress, let downs, and struggles to my family throughout the years. Watching out the window, I took in the scenery of the trees and the bridges that crossed over rivers surrounding the only town I called home. I would miss the weekends spent at the Bidwell Canyon Campground, fishing with my parents, taking in the view of Lake Oroville with the mountain views surrounding us. Now that we were leaving it all behind, I saw beauty beyond the nightmares and struggles. I saw a place that would remain in my past that I could never forget, no matter how hard I tried, because it was also a part of what made me who I am today.

  Upon arrival to our new home at the Castillo Yacht Club, Dad began shooting directives at the movers on where to unload boxes out of the truck. Stepping from the car, I walked toward my mom. “Should we just follow the movers?”

  “I have a map Christopher… we’ll find our way. Don’t worry.”

  ***

  Lorelai

  Exiting the building, I walked to the end of the walkway to meet Marie. “Ready for day one of work, partner?”

  Marie’s facial expression dropped, she looked unenthusiastic at the thought of day one. I couldn’t blame her, we had to rely on my mother guiding and bossing us around, which meant no time for goofing off in our normal day to day routines. “Sure. Can we please get coffee first though?”

  “That’s a given. I’ll take five gallons, please.” I nudged her with an elbow.

  “You should just have a continuous IV drip to walk around with,” She teased.

  I widened my eyes at her with a smug smirk. “That would be freaking fantastic! You should invent it… we’d make millions!”

  She shook her head and giggled. “One wild and strung out rich Lorelai and Marie coming up!”

  “We would have those boat houses cleaned up in no time,” I pointed out. “To be fair, we’re already wild and strung out.”

  “True story! For now, I say we order the gallon and make sure to ask for extra cups, cream and sugar. It’s going to be a long day,” she replied, and I saluted her as we giggled our way down the boardwalk.

  Retrieving our coffee cart and a dozen donuts, we headed down toward the boathouse rental headquarters.

  As we were about to cross the boardwalk, a group of men came through with carts full of boxes, a teenage boy walked at the end with an older woman that appeared to be his mother.

  Marie’s head turned her eyes glued to the perfect strangers as mine were. “Who… is that?” she asked.

  My lips parted as I stopped in my tracks, staring at the newcomers walking in with suitcases. “Did you hear anything about a new family moving in, Marie?”

  I could see her shaking her head in my peripheral vision. “Nope. You?”

  I pulled the cup of coffee to my lips and sipped the hot caffeine. “Why are we always the last to know?”

  “Because we’re too busy gossiping about everyone and everything else.” She paused. “How’s your arms by the way?”

  “The burn is killing me, and the tattoo itches. Makes no sense. Why do we have to endure double the torture?” I said, watching as the young man and his mother walk closer to where we’re standing.

  “We all go through it, including the members. Have you ever gotten close enough to see Luci’s or Armani’s marks?”

  I shook my head. “Not really. What are they?”

  “Crowns over a black diamond.” She said with an edge in her tone.

  I nodded, reading in her silent message. Loyalty is royalty around here. I sipped my coffee. “We should get a move on. Mom will be waiting and make us work ten times harder if we aren’t on time.”

  “You don’t want to follow the new neighbors?” She said as we started walking.

  “And do what afterward? Act as if we’ve become lost?”

  She grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. “Just walk. Chances are he could walk back this way.”

  I sent glares to her. Now wasn’t the time, and she knew why. I followed her lead, and we walked past the house. The door was open as his father and the movers brought the first load in. Standing from a far, I watched as the new mystery boy came walking out to help unload boxes; and when he glanced our way, I flashed a small smile at him as we were turned around to walk back down the dock. To my everlasting surprise, he flashed a smile back.

  As we made it out of earshot, Marie looked at me wide eyes. “Someone call the fire department, because he is on fire! Lorelai! You must use your owner’s daughter card and go introduce yourself with the welcome mat!”

  I bobbed my head back and forth thinking about it and bit my lower lip at her reaction. “I could… or, I could let us meet naturally and wait until he comes out to explore.”

  “Absolutely not! If you don’t do it, I’ll welcome him and set you up on a blind date.”

  She clearly was not taking no for an answer. “Fine.” I groaned.

  She smirked. “You’ll thank me later, I’m sure.”

  ***

  Christopher

  After helping Dad and the movers with the last load, I stepped out on the deck looking over the view of the bay and the mountains. I placed my hands on the wooden fence and took in the scenery. The fresh mountain air, salt, and seaf
ood wafted through my nostrils and into my sinuses. The atmosphere was as calm and quiet as it was serene. Other boat houses surrounded us in the bay. There were multiple rows of houseboats as far as I could see, and the wooden docks gave way to each section of the housing community. Taking a deep breath, I think back to the young girl who appeared to be right around my age, lingering on the dock while we were moving in, and I wondered who she was? Did she live in this sector with the boathouses? More importantly, would I see her again? I heard Mom’s heels clicking against the wood as she stood next to me. “What do you think, Chris?”

  I stayed quiet for a moment before I looked at her. “I think this is going to be better for our family. I know you’re worried because it’s a big move before I go into my last year of high school, but I’ll be okay. It’s not like I was all that into participating in school events anyway, and my true friends will keep in touch.”

  She smiled my way. “I’m glad you’re taking this move so well.” She looked back at the house. “It’s bigger than the last place we were in.”

  I turned to look up at our new home. “It is, isn’t it?” I paused for a moment. ”When we lived in Oroville, and Dad constantly placed his all into the construction business and taking care of our family, he still stumbled around in constant frustration. If this move helps Dad succeed and move to higher places with the construction company, then nothing else matters.”

  She smiled at me and narrowed her eyes as she looked me in the eyes. “You are wise beyond your years, Christopher. No other seventeen year old would’ve taken all the change we put you through as well as you have.”

  I smiled at her and broke my eyes away from hers as Papa Nick stepped out on the dock. “Well, what do you guys think? Million-dollar view?”

  “It’s definitely something, Papa Nick,”

  He laughed and came over to wrap his arm around my shoulders. “You were actually just who I was looking for.”