“What are you doing now?”
I chuckle, wondering if he’ll think me a pussy when I answer. “Shopping with Siobahn.”
“I’ll have Luciana and her guard meet you there, yeah? You can come here, he’ll bring them back when they’re finished.”
“The babies?” I ask, speaking of his Paola and his son, little Vino.
“They’re with Massimo’s parents. They spoil them more than I do, and that’s saying a helluva lot,” he says with a laugh.
“I’ll drop you a pin of my next stop, she should be done here soon.”
“Where are you?”
I laugh. “Fifth Avenue, we’re headed to Saks.”
“I’ll meet you there, Luciana will be pleased.”
He ends the call and I become intrigued by his order. And it will be an order, no doubt about it. However, I’m so curious as to how this is going to play out. He’s had the opportunity to end the heads of both the D’Amore and the Trevisani famiglia more than once, why now?
Something is going down and normally I wouldn’t ask him about the hits he brings me, but this one, I have no choice. I need to know what the fuck is going on. I have to.
“Renzo?” Siobahn calls out from behind me.
Turning my head, I give her a smile and push off the side of the building where I’ve been leaning for a good hour.
“You find anything?” I ask.
She wrinkles her nose, but there is something in her eyes. Embarrassment, maybe. I can’t quite tell. “No, not here. Let’s just go. Can we be done? I have a few outfits, that’ll get me through for a while. Maybe I can just order some stuff online?”
“Some bitch in that store say something to you?” I demand.
She presses her lips together, shaking her head as she walks out of the store and toward me. I can’t stop the way my muscles tighten as she places her hands on my chest and tilts her head back to look up at me.
“Let’s just go home.”
I like the sound of that coming from her lips—home. However, we’re not going home and I’m not leaving this sidewalk until I know exactly what the fuck happened. Because no shop girl is going to talk shit to my woman.
Not fucking ever.
“Tell me.”
She presses her lips together as she rolls her eyes to the sky, then lowers them back down to meet my own.
“She was just kind of rude. Didn’t think I could afford anything in her store based on my current wardrobe. It’s all dramatic and not worth getting upset about.”
Narrowing my gaze, I flick my eyes up to the store window and find the name. Making a mental note, I grin.
“You remember her name?”
“Does it matter?”
Shrugging a shoulder, I take a step back and hold my hand out, palm up as I wait for her to slip hers inside. She does, and I squeeze her there before I lace my fingers with hers. Together we walk toward Saks Fifth Avenue.
“Her name was Kaleigh, but it’s over now.”
I hum, squeezing her again, as we continue to make our way toward the store. I don’t tell her about the guests coming, or that I’ll be leaving soon. Instead, I just enjoy walking down the crowded sidewalk with her, wondering if this will be my one and only stroll like this with her.
Fuck.
I sound so goddamn depressed about all of this, especially since I don’t really know the outcome, but at the same time, I feel like I just found the woman I want and I’m already on the verge of losing her.
SIOBAHN
Something ugly has settled and taken permanent residence at the pit of my stomach. I don’t know what’s going on, but something is happening around me. I feel like a spectator to my own life. I agree to things, make decisions, but I don’t really feel like I have much of a choice in any of them. Not really.
This wedding feels off, it has felt off since he asked me. I don’t know what it is, but that’s how it feels. Maybe it’s because I don’t have an engagement ring of any kind, more likely it’s because we don’t really know one another.
It very much feels like Renzo and I are playing house together. We have sex, we eat, and that’s it. I know a few things about his past and he knows a little about mine. We’re together because our bodies feel really freaking great with one another. We’re together because I could be pregnant. Big emphasis on could.
“Luciana will be here any minute, I have some things to do for Gavino. You’ll be okay with her, you like her, yeah?”
What do I say? No, your boss’s wife is a bitch? I mean she’s not, but if she was, it’s not like I can tell him that.
“I do, she seems really nice.”
He arches a brow, but doesn’t say anything else to me. With a jerk of his chin, we walk toward the women’s clothing.
“Buy enough, cuoricino. Get everything, dresses, jeans, pants, skirts, formal, informal, and shoes. Money is no object, Luciana wouldn’t let it be anyway.”
“She wouldn’t?” I breathe.
He snorts. “No, she wouldn’t. Luciana was born a principessa.”
I don’t even know what that means, but I’m not able to ask. Because the woman herself appears, Gavino walking close behind, his head tipped as he types something on his phone.
I have no doubt that he’s fully aware and alert of everything going on around him though. I don’t know why, but he just seems that type, seemingly distracted, but taking everything in without missing a beat.
“I tried to get Nicola or Pippa to join, but Nicola said she had some paperwork to do, and Pippa was working in the office for Arlo today. So, it’s just us, but they’ll be there tomorrow morning for your dress appointment,” she announces.
Renzo shifts uncomfortably next to me, slipping his hand around my waist before he turns and touches his lips to my temple. “You be good, when you leave here, you’ll text me?”
Turning my head slightly, I tilt it back to look up at him. “I will,” I exhale, my lips so close to his.
He awards me a small smile before his mouth brushes mine. “Nothing too sexy, yeah?”
“Why?” I chance asking.
He chuckles. “The world can have a hint of what lies beneath your clothes, but not the whole view, that’s for me.”
Without another word, his tongue slides across my bottom lip and he straightens, taking a step back and lifts his hand to Luciana in a wave. Gavino distractedly walks over to her, pausing just long enough to touch his lips to hers and then he too turns and walks away.
“Gavino told me you needed everything. He’s a man, so I don’t really believe him when he says things like that. I’m not a huge browser. I like to get in, find what I want and get out,” she begins.
She comes off as a tad harsh, but then I remember that she is the mother of two little ones and a husband, who I assume works long hours, though I’m not sure exactly what he does, since Renzo hasn’t told me what he does, yet.
“I’m not a huge shopper, but I do need everything. Apparently, dresses? I’m not a big dress person, but Renzo made a point to mention it…”
Luciana holds up her hand, palm facing me. “Say no more,” she sighs. “These men, they try and portray that they’re progressive, but at the end of the day, they can only change so much and one thing they’ll always want is their women dressed to the nines in public and unfortunately, that includes dresses and lots of them.”
I blink, not sure what to say because this all sounds very odd and I have a feeling this has to do with whatever illegal industry they’re in. When Renzo confirmed that what he did wasn’t legal, my mind started to wander and I could only think of one industry where men wore suits and were not doing legal business dealings.
I’m not into stereotyping, but if I were… mafia was the first thing that popped into my head. Now, combined with what Luciana is telling me, I’m wondering if I could be right and if I am, what does that mean for the future?
“You look like you’re going to be sick,” Luciana practically snaps.
Lifting my gaze to meet hers, I shrug a shoulder. “Renzo won’t tell me. What do they do?”
Luciana shakes her head. “Oh, no. We’re here to talk about clothes, sex, gossip, and shoes. We are not here to talk business. So, I’m not saying a word. But judging by the way your face paled, I think you probably have it all figured out. Now, dresses.”
It doesn’t take long for me to drop the job topic, especially understanding that Luciana is beyond strong and there is no breaking that woman down. Not with this topic at least. The rest of the afternoon, thankfully, goes by quickly. She really is a no-nonsense shopper, and I truly appreciate it.
“I think this will get you by for a while. Plus, judging by the way Renzo was looking at you, you’ll probably be pregnant soon anyway and need maternity clothes.”
I choke and try to cover it up with a cough, which only makes her laugh. “So, I’m right?”
Nodding, my gaze shifts to the floor, then back up to hers. The sales associate is packing up my things and now we’re sitting at a small table as we wait for them to be all bagged and totaled up.
“Tell me about her.”
Luciana’s gaze shifts to the side, then back to meet my own. “Pippa. She will probably be there tomorrow.”
“Tell me,” I softly demand.
Luciana presses her lips together, looking at the table before she shifts her eyes back up to meet mine. She inhales a deep breath, shaking her head once.
“I can’t tell you her life story. I can tell you that you have absolutely nothing to worry about. She is in love with her Massimo. They’re having a baby.”
The words though probably meant to ease my worry, they do the exact opposite. I’m suddenly feeling super anxious and not in a good way. She’s pregnant. He wants me pregnant. Why? I don’t know what it is, but I feel like there are pieces missing and I want to know what the hell they are.
I don’t say anything else, I’m not sure what to say. Instead, I just give her a smile and nod. I’m sure she can feel my hesitation, my uncertainty, but thankfully she doesn’t call me on it. A few minutes later the saleswoman says that she’s ready and we make our way over to the counter.
Luciana whips out her credit card, turning to me with a smile. “It’s the company card. Gavino said he’d square up with Renzo later,” she says with a wink.
I thank her and together, along with a man who appears seemingly out of nowhere to carry the bags, we walk out of the department store. My gaze shifts to him, but as stoic and quiet as he seems, plus large, he doesn’t feel like a threat.
“He’s my driver,” Luciana announces. “He stays out of my hair, but is always close by.”
Her explanation should be enough to ease me, but it’s not really, because this man is no simple driver. He is muscular, tall, and has a presence of being a hardened badass. He’s more than just a driver.
We take a step outside onto the busy sidewalk and I can’t help but close my eyes for just a moment as the sun beats down on me. Luciana links her arm with mine and I open my eyes, turning to her with a small smile.
I’m still thinking about the driver, or rather, not the driver as we follow close behind him down the street. It’s confirmed that he isn’t simply just a driver when suddenly, my bags fall to the ground, Luciana screams, and wraps her arms around my waist, taking me to the sidewalk, and I hear gunshots ring out all around us.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
Pop.
Like fireworks.
One right after the other.
Chapter Thirty-Four
RENZO
“D’Amore needs to go?” I ask as soon as I know that we are alone and not in danger of being overheard by anyone.
We’re in Gavino’s office in town, Salvatore the only other man on this floor, and since he’s Gavino’s Consigliere, he knows more than I do about any one given topic that includes the famiglia.
Gavino walks behind his desk and sinks down in his chair. “He does. But not for the reason you’re probably thinking.”
“So, it’s not to grow the empire you want to create?” I ask.
He chuckles. “Well, maybe a little.”
“Talk to me, Vino.”
He clears his throat, leaning back slightly, his eyes never leaving mine. “I’ve been doing some research on associates and people who aren’t necessarily associates but rather on the edge of enemy territory to the famiglia. Killing two birds with one stone since you left. Anyone who was involved in the trafficking and sexual exploits of girl’s underage and against their will. Something wasn’t sitting right with me. I’m under no illusion that it doesn’t exist, however, dealing with it, funding it, being a part of it. I just can’t.”
“When you see them being loaded up in Ireland and shipped off to no doubt their deaths, it puts a whole different perspective on the situation,” I say.
He nods his head. “Exactly. When I realized that Orin wasn’t truthful, that he could have been sending girls here that didn’t want to be here, but were too scared to speak up. I couldn’t just continue.”
“So, you’re a vigilante now?”
He snorts. “Of sorts, but not without a purpose that is beneficial to the famiglia, yeah?”
“D’Amore? How does he fit into all of this?”
Gavino leans forward, his forearms resting on the top of his desk. “I thought his business was laundering. I left him alone, because that’s an important cog in the famiglia wheelhouse. Though we do it with the card house, he does it differently.”
“It’s not just laundering, is it?”
He shakes his head slowly. “I didn’t realize. I would have never guessed. Had I known… I would have ended him before I even ended Rossi.”
“Are you going to tell me?” I grind out through clenched teeth.
He inhales a deep breath, letting it out on an exhale. “He’s been on the receiving end of Orin’s girls. The ones you saw. I didn’t know he was involved at all. I wondered how he came to blackmailing Aidan. I’ve wondered a lot of things.”
“So D’Amore has been trafficking young girls to sell?”
Gavino nods his head. “All the while pretending to be an upstanding boss of his famiglia. Pretended that he wasn’t a sick fucking pervert.”
“Fuck,” I hiss.
“I only tracked him down when I started looking for the source of where these men in high places were getting their women.”
“What about his men? His Underboss, his Capos?” I ask.
Gavino shrugs a shoulder. “If it were up to me, I’d wipe them all out and I’ll probably take out all his high-ranking officers, there’s no way that they’re not in on what he’s been doing. They know, they have to.”
Nodding my head in agreement, I shift in my seat. “But I’m taking out just D’Amore?” I ask.
He grins. “You are, at your wedding.”
“Gavino,” I hiss.
He snorts. “We’ll have the reception at my place. You can have your shit all set up ahead of time, wherever you need it. But that’s what we’ll do. That way, none of us can be blamed.”
“You’re sure you want to do this? It could start a war, he has kids. They’ll expect to take over.”
Gavino stands, then turns his back to me and walks over to the window, looking down at the city, he clears his throat.
“I’m sure that they would expect that, but it won’t happen. His oldest son is worthless, a drug and gambling addict that spends his nights at my casino. His other son has no interest in the famiglia and went away to college, I have it on authority that he doesn’t even call home, let alone visit.”
“Death and loss does stuff to people, he could come back.”
Gavino shrugs a shoulder, turning around to level me with his gaze. “I’ll be ready when he does. The wife is useless. As far as I know, she’s in on it too. Wouldn’t surprise me, she can join him for all I care.”
I’m typically not in th
e habit of killing women, but if I find out that she is indeed in on this, then she will die. “Want me to find out if she is?” I ask.
“Will you end her?”
Nodding my head, I rise to my feet. “Hurting children is never okay. Hurting anyone the way they have, it’s not right. Making profit off of someone who is not willing to be in that situation is disgusting.”
“The famiglia once did that,” he reminds me.
“Did you like it?” I ask.
He shakes his head once. “I didn’t. Which is why I ended the practice.”
“This isn’t the same famiglia.”
He grins. “No, Renzo. It’s not. This is a new generation. A new world.”
“Let’s end this shit once and for all,” I growl.
Gavino walks over to me, lifting his hand, he claps it down on my shoulder and squeezes before giving me a shake.
“We do this, you get a new position if you want it.”
Arching a brow, I tilt my head to the side, but before he can make the offer, his phone rings. He wrenches it out of his pocket and slides his thumb across the screen.
He doesn’t even say a word of greeting when I hear a woman’s voice yelling on the other end. I watch as Gavino’s face goes pale and his eyes find mine.
“Gunfire,” he growls. “At Saks.”
SIOBAHN
My side aches. Not just a little. It hurts. Then I realize that I am laying on the side that hurts really badly, on the hard concrete sidewalk. I feel something against my cheek and I lift my hand to touch it. Pressing my fingers together and rubbing, I realize that it’s liquid.
Moving my hand, I stare at my red-coated fingers. Blood. Looking around frantically, I see that there are people surrounding us on the street, but nobody has made their way over to see if we’re okay.
Turning my head, I look behind me and see Luciana. She isn’t moving and her hand is on her belly. Reaching for her, I wrap my fingers around her shoulder and shake her gently.
“Luciana?” I say, though I think it comes out as a shout, because I can’t hear my own voice when I speak. There is nothing but ringing in my ears.
Becoming the Hitman (Zanetti Famiglia Book 5) Page 23