Salvatore (Mafia Heat, #3)

by Jade, Ella

  “You can tell me in front of them.” That would save me the trouble of filling them in later. “I don’t keep secrets from my brothers.”

  “I was in the kitchen with Franco. He was there when I went in to make the dressing.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  “He told me not to tell you or he’d kill you and make me watch.”

  “He threatened you?” That made sense. “You don’t have to be afraid of him. Dominick would never let him hurt either one of us.” I glanced at Dom. “Right?”

  “You’re not telling him the whole story,” Dominick said. “Are you?”

  She shook her head as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

  “What story?” The longer this went on, the more anxious I became. “What don’t I know?”

  “I’ve known Franco since I was a kid,” she admitted. “He helped me go to culinary school.”

  “Priceless,” Santino muttered.

  “What kind of help?” I ignored my youngest brother. “What did he do for you?”

  “He paid for my schooling.”

  “Why?”

  “My father worked for his father. I was young and alone. Franco offered me a way out and I took it. I didn’t know he’d collect on the favor.” She reached for my hand. “I never imagined he’d ask me to... I didn’t want to help him. I told him to leave me alone.”

  “What did you do for him?”

  “A few weeks ago he asked me to get him into the building. I unlocked a door that we don’t use. He said I didn’t need to worry about the rest. I didn’t ask any questions. I don’t know what he wanted. I repaid the favor. I thought it was over until he came back tonight.”

  “What did he want tonight?”

  “He wanted me to get him in on Friday night. He didn’t tell me why. Only that prominent people would be here. Rocco walked in on us.” She started crying. “He shot him. I don’t know why. It all happened so fast. He didn’t have to shoot him.”

  “He wouldn’t leave a witness,” Gianni said as he stared at Dominick. “We have to stop him.”

  “Rocco’s dead because of you.” I didn’t care what revenge Dominick would carry out. That wouldn’t bring Rocco back.

  “I know.”

  “You know?” I yelled. “You betrayed me. You helped an enemy of my father. Franco shot Vincenzo.”

  “I know, I know,” she sobbed.

  “If you know so much why didn’t you come to me?” None of this made any sense. “Franco can be intimidating and I’m sure he made you feel obligated but there are five of us.” I motioned to my brothers. “We could have made the problem go away. All you had to do was tell me.”

  “I didn’t know there would be a problem. I wanted him to go away. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “But now Rocco is dead! Isn’t he?” My grief turned to rage. None of this had to happen if she wasn’t working with Franco. “Are you with me because of Franco? Did he send you here?”

  “No, I didn’t know he was connected to your family when I applied for the job.”

  “How can I trust anything you say? How do I know you’re not working with him to bring down my family by using me? That’s what it looks like. Are you the one stealing from me?”

  “I would never do that.”

  “You would conspire with an enemy and allow him access to my business, my fucking home!” I raised my voice. “Did you sleep with me that night he was roaming around my property? Were you my diversion? Because you know what that makes you, right?”

  She kept shaking her head but she wasn’t giving me much else to go on. When I closed my eyes, I saw Rocco lying in a pool of blood with a bullet in his chest. His mother would never be able to hug him again. What about his sisters and nieces? They depended on him.

  “A fucking whore,” I spat. “That’s what you are.”

  She gasped but didn’t defend herself. How could she do this to me?

  “Okay.” Vincenzo stepped in. “That’s enough. We have more important things to worry about right now. We’ve already let this situation go on too long. We have to call the police.”

  “Please let me explain,” she begged.

  “I want her out of here.” I pleaded with Vincenzo. “Now!”

  “Hayden,” Vince said. “Get whatever you need and I’ll bring you downstairs. I’ll have Tommy, my driver, take you home.”

  “Sal?” she begged but I was done with her.

  I gazed out the window, ignoring her as she continued to call my name. Eventually, she gave up and let Vince escort her out.

  “Salvatore.” Gianni stood next to me. “We’ll deal with her later. Franco probably threatened her. We don’t know all the details.”

  “You’re on her side?”

  “I’m on your side. She means something to you. Don’t try to pretend she doesn’t. Trust me, that won’t work.”

  “This is different from what happened with Angelique. She never betrayed you. She didn’t try to hurt your family.”

  “All I’m saying is, we don’t have all the facts,” Gianni said. “We’ll get them though. I promise.”

  Vincenzo came back upstairs, closing the door behind him. “Tommy is taking her home. She wanted you to know she didn’t know Franco would be here today. She is devastated that Rocco is dead. I advised her not to talk to the police.”

  “I don’t care what she says.” I finished my drink. “What now?”

  “We have to get in front of this,” Dominick said. “Gianni, get someone on Hayden twenty-four, seven.”

  “No!” I shouted. “She’s irrelevant. Why should we protect her?”

  “You don’t believe that,” Dominick dismissed me. “The last time I underestimated Franco and didn’t have Nadia tailed, Vincenzo got shot. I won’t make that mistake twice.”

  “He’s right,” Santino agreed. “We have to call the cops. We need to be prepared.”

  “Sal found the body. That’s what we’re going with,” Dominick ordered. “Gianni and I won’t be here when they get here. It’ll only complicate matters.”

  “I’ll stay with Sal when he gives his statement.” Santino nodded at me. “You have nothing to worry about. I’ll get you through it.”

  “I want Vincenzo here too,” Dom said.

  “Dad wouldn’t want that,” Santino argued.

  “Dad would want me with Sal,” Vincenzo insisted.

  “Dad’s not here. I’m making the call,” Dominick said. “Sal’s going to need all the support he can get once the police show up. Vincenzo is going to be the lead on this, understood?”

  “Fine,” Santino said.

  “I would never leave Sal,” Vince told Santino. “It’s better to have both of us here. We can manage his statement. Make sure it’s cut and dry.”

  “Why do I need an attorney?” I asked. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “The cops will know that but you need Vince and Santino to protect you. We don’t want you answering any questions that could bite us in the ass later,” Dominick said. “Follow their directions and listen to everything they say.”

  I didn’t understand anything that was happening. My chef, my friend, was murdered in my restaurant. A place that was supposed to be off-limits to this family business that I was cursed into.

  “What about Rocco’s family? His mother? His sisters?” I hated that they were going to have to deal with all of this because of me. “We have to help them through this.”

  “Dom and I will take care of that,” Gianni said.

  “I’m going to need support for my staff. They’re going to have to grieve. I’ll need to shut down for a week or so. Rocco was loved by so many in this community.”

  “We’ll provide counseling. We’ll figure it out,” Dom assured me. “Right now, you’re our main concern.”

  “What about Franco?” Santino asked. “We can’t have him running around out there using us as a target.”

  “One thing at a time.” Dom nodded toward the door. “Ri
ght now, Sal has to go downstairs and call the police.”

  “They’re going to want to check you for residue,” Vincenzo said. “They’re going to make this tough because of who you are.”

  “What? I don’t even own a gun.”

  “After you call the police, you’ll call my cell so there’s a record of you calling me to come. We’ll say Vince and I were together when you called.” Santino took his phone out of his pocket. “Sal, are you listening?”

  “Yeah, I just, why are we lying?”

  “Because we’re not handing Franco over to the cops,” Dominick said. “He’s not getting another chance.”

  “Wouldn’t that be our best option?” Vince asked. “I’m concerned for Sal. He’s never been questioned by the police.”

  “I’ll say I found Rocco,” Gianni offered. “It’s better if I do it.”

  “That’s not a good idea. There would be no reason for you to be in the kitchen.” Dominick shook his head. “Your wife is pregnant. You don’t need any trouble. The cops will do whatever it takes to get you behind bars even if they’re just busting your balls. Sal has no record. They’ll believe him even if he is a Marchelli because he’s a respected businessman with no ties to anything we do.”

  “I’ll do it.” I wanted to put this night behind me. “It’s my restaurant and my responsibility.”

  “I don’t know why Franco targeted you but I’ll take care of it.” The determination in Dominick’s voice should have been unsettling but I wanted revenge for Rocco. God help me.

  “I don’t want to hear any details. You’re going to get me disbarred.” I heard the agitation in Vincenzo’s words. The only reason he would have anything to do with this mess was that he was trying to protect me.

  “Let’s get this over with.” I took out my phone. “I’ll call the police.”

  “The cameras have been wiped and deactivated.” Gianni checked the tablet. “Agree to give them whatever they want. Louie will say our system crashed last night. We don’t have any footage.”

  “Everything is handled.” Dominick patted my back. “I promise.”

  It always is.

  As my brothers worked to fix this situation, I realized something extremely important. A truth that had been a reality in my father’s world for years. I never thought I’d experience it.

  Betrayal comes when you least expect it... that’s why it cuts so deep.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hayden

  I Want to See Who You Really Are

  Grief, fear, emptiness... I hadn’t left my apartment in two days. I hadn’t slept more than a few hours in that time either. I couldn’t watch the news because Rocco and the Marchellis were the top story.

  Grief... every time I closed my eyes, I saw Rocco. His boisterous laugh crept into my thoughts. His love of food and his talent for creating such masterful dishes swarmed my mind. He had so much more to give. In an instant, it was all taken from him.

  Fear... Where was Franco? Was he on the run? Hiding in plain sight? Did he think I was the one who had given him up? Had Dominick already taken care of him? I had so many questions and no one to ask. Would Franco come back for me now that the Marchellis wanted nothing to do with me?

  Emptiness... Sal. We’d been together a short time but he’d become my entire world. No one had ever been there for me the way he had. How was he coping with the loss of Rocco? Did he need me as much as I needed him? Would he always blame me for what happened?

  He should. I would never forgive myself.

  The knock at the door startled me. What if it was Franco? How could I protect myself from him? When my unknown guest knocked again, I quietly made my way to the door, placing my hand on it, wishing with all that I had that it was Sal.

  “Hayden.”

  My heart dropped when I heard a female voice.

  “It’s Angelique. Can I come in?”

  Unbolting the door, I slowly opened it not knowing what to expect. There stood Angelique in an adorable lavender sundress with an even cuter baby bump accentuating her perfect frame.

  “Oh, honey.” She hugged me. “You look awful.”

  “Thanks?” I’m sure she was right but I didn’t care.

  “I’m sorry.” She came inside and shut the door. “You look like Sal does and I don’t understand how either of you let two days go by and neither of you reached out to the other.”

  “I’m certain he doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

  “What happened?”

  “He didn’t tell you?”

  “He’s been so upset about Rocco. Gianni has me in lockdown mode. Dominick is on edge. More than usual anyway. I figured after what happened with Rocco you got scared and fled but you’re safer with Sal and the family.”

  “It was awful.” I closed my eyes and shook my head as my stomach churned from the memory. “He was such a good man. A wonderful friend and mentor. I’ll never get that image of him out of my head.”

  “You were there?” She held up her hand. “You know what, Gianni has been so tight-lipped about it. I’m better off not knowing.” She placed her hand on her stomach. “I don’t need the stress.”

  “Are you and the babies okay?”

  “I’m fine and the babies are perfect.” I heard the excitement in her voice. “I’m concerned about Sal.”

  “How is he?” I wanted more than anything to hear his voice, see his face. Tell me he forgave me.

  “Not good which is why I’m here. I thought you liked him.”

  “I do.” I love him!

  “Then why aren’t you with him? You clearly need one another.”

  “It’s complicated.”

  “Isn’t it always when you’re with a Marchelli?” She sighed. “They’re hard work.”

  “How do you do it?”

  “I love my husband. The rest falls into place.”

  “I don’t think Sal is going to ever forgive me for what I did.”

  “The only thing that would ever make him turn on you is if you put his family in jeopardy and... oh?” The realization splashed across her face. “You had something to do with Rocco’s death.”

  “I didn’t mean it. I got caught up in something I couldn’t get out of.”

  When her phone rang with a call, she glanced at the screen. “I have to...” She held up her finger as she answered. “Hey, babe.” She paused for a moment. “Gianni, I didn’t tell you where I was because you already know.” She rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t let it go.”

  She nodded as she listened to her husband. “Jimmy is right outside the door. I promise. He walked me up to the house and he’ll walk me back to the car.” She stopped again. “In a few minutes.” She grinned. “We’re fine. All of us.” She pointed to her stomach as she stared at me. “I love you too. See you in a bit.”

  She ended the call. “My husband is a little overprotective.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  “Not at all.” She gazed down at her stomach. “It comes with the territory.”

  “I didn’t mean to hurt Sal.”

  “If there is any way for you to fix it, you should try. He isn’t taking Rocco’s death well. You should grieve together. No matter what happened, I’m certain he wants you by his side.”

  “I think it’s best if I leave him alone.” I wanted to do the opposite and run to him, especially if he needed me. “For now.”

  “I can’t say that I didn’t try.” She hugged me. “I hope you two can find a way to work it out.”

  “Me too.”

  TWO HOURS LATER, I found myself taking the elevator up to the loft. I reread the text Sal had sent me soon after Angelique left.

  I need you...

  After some back and forth, I was told there was a car waiting for me across from my apartment and I’d already been cleared to come up to see him. He had to have me cleared? That stung. Remembering the cold, intimidating stare in Dominick’s eyes when they showed Sal that surveillance video was enough to remind me who was in
charge. Looking back, I wondered if Dominick had been Franco’s target all along? A chill ran through me when I thought about how stupid I had been. I had jeopardized all of them without realizing it. I was so eager to protect Sal that I didn’t consider the havoc Franco could cause.

  As I came off the elevator, I pushed back the negativity that I carried with me for the past few days. Sal had forgiven me. He needed me. We could find a way to work through Rocco’s death together. I had to assure him that I would never betray him again. Now I had to make him believe me.

  “Hayden.” Joey sat in the foyer of the loft, placing his tablet on the small table next to him. “Sal told me you were coming.”

  “Is everything okay?” I’d never seen him camped out here before. “You’re not usually upstairs.”

  “I’m surprised you’re here.”

  “Sal asked me to come.”

  “You should be warned he hasn’t been sober for more than two hours since Rocco’s death.”

  “Oh.” That didn’t sound very encouraging. Did he drunk text me?

  “He might not remember asking you here.” He stood in front of the door. “If he changed his mind, I’ll ask you to leave.”

  “He wants me here,” I said with certainty. “He wouldn’t have asked me if he didn’t.”

  Sal stumbled out of the loft, catching himself as he smirked at me. “You’re here.” When he took my hand, I noted his eyes were off, bloodshot and tired. He was barefoot, shirtless and the top button of his jeans were undone. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in days.”

  “You haven’t,” Joey said. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “I’m an adult,” he reminded his bodyguard.

  “I know.”

  “Joey’s been babysitting me but I’m pretty sure you’re not going to shoot me.” He looked me over, tracing his finger under my eye. “You haven’t been sleeping.”

  “No,” I admitted.

  “Me either.” He led me to the door. “Come inside.”

  I followed him inside, immediately feeling at home. I’d missed this place almost as much as I’d missed him.

  “Goodnight, Joey,” Sal said before closing the door. “He’s overprotective.”