I turn red. “Sorry. I didn’t realize I said all that out loud.” I look down at my shoes.
He might look smitten over me but that’s because this is all an act. I feel a pang of guilt for lying to her.
“It’s not what you think,” I tell her. My heart starts beating in my chest.
Oh my God. I cannot tell her.
Yes, I can.
“Just give it time. He’s never really had a real girlfriend.”
He hasn’t?
I mentally smack myself in the face. Focus!
“No, what I mean is it’s not real. He said he’s going to kill me!”
This fucking girl starts laughing. This guy is threatening to kill me and she’s laughing.
“Don’t take him literally. He said he was going to kill me because I brought ten bags of lingerie over.” She laughs again.
I literally face palm. Why isn’t she getting it? Doesn’t she know her whole family is a bunch of killers?
I debate trying to tell her again but she stands and pulls me up by my arm.
“Let’s get drinks!” She yells into my ear.
“But we have drinks!” I hold up my champagne flute.
“Forget that. I know the bartender over there. He will give us real drinks. Not this crap my brother’s making us have.”
She starts pulling me towards the bar across the room.
I look over at Nello and I see him talking to someone.
“Wait,” I tell her. “I have to tell Nello where I’m going.”
“Why?” She looks confused.
I have no idea how to respond. I look again at Nello and shrug.
“I guess it’s fine.”
“Dominick’s watching us. We can go.”
We make our way to the bar and she orders drinks for us. She starts getting chatty with the bartender. I take advantage of the moment and I look over to see Nello still deep in conversation with some guy.
This seems like a bad idea.
I’m afraid he’ll be pissed off when he turns around and I’m missing. Then I definitely won’t get my reward.
But Caterina seems to be pretty convinced we are really dating. I might as well keep up the charade. I don’t want to raise alarm to her if she sees I need to keep reporting to him.
Dominick is close by and his eyes haven’t left us. Well, they haven’t left Caterina. I deem in my mind that’s good enough.
She hands me my drink and pulls me to the edge of the crowd. We start dancing with each other and sipping our drinks. It’s much stronger than the champagne Nello got for us. I just hope it’s not drugged or something.
The beat picks up and we get lost in the sea of bodies.
It doesn’t take long before I’m tipsy as all hell. I feel the other bodies bumping against me to the music. Caterina and I have to keep grabbing onto each other so we don’t fall over. That could be the alcohol, though.
I’m not sure how much time passes and I actually forget all about Nello, this crazy deal, my life being over.
I’m quickly reminded when I feel a strong grip on my arm.
I turn and see Nello. He looks lethal.
“You don’t walk away from me without telling me! And what is in this glass? How do you know it wasn’t tampered with?”
I pull my arm out of his grip.
“We were just dancing! The drink is fine! Besides, Dominick is right there! He can see us! We’re fine.”
He’s got fire in his eyes.
“Don’t you start with your fucking smart mouth. Dominick’s job is to protect Caterina! Not you!”
Caterina tries getting involved and yells at her brother. I see her swatting his arm.
“What’s the big problem? We are just having fun! Stop being so possessive, Nello!”
“You stay out of this, Cat!” He raises his voice back at her. She backs down easily and moves out of the conversation. I watch her walk to the bar and Dominick meets her there. They glance back toward us and I have a feeling they’re talking about us.
He turns back to me. “You had strict rules. I asked you to follow them. I’m not sure what is pissing me off more. The fact that I thought you ran off or the fact that you’ve got all these fucking guys staring at you!”
His words confuse me. The running I could understand. But why would he care about other guys?
“It bothers you that guys are staring at me? Why? Did you not tell me this is all pretend?”
“Yeah. You’re right. This is all fucking pretend.”
He grabs my face in two hands and kisses me roughly. I taste whiskey on his tongue as he delves it deep into my mouth. His kiss tells me this isn’t pretend.
I kiss him back and instantly his hands roam all over me.
He’s touching me everywhere.
The alcohol in my system is not my friend right now as it causes me to touch him right back. My eyes are closed and I feel him back me up into a wall.
He groans into my mouth and I feel him growing hard in his pants. I reach down to massage him through his dress pants.
I am playing with fire here.
His arms cage me in as he plants them on the wall and grinds up against me. I grab onto his tie and pull him further towards me.
The music’s blaring and my heart pounds to the beat.
This can’t all be just for show, right? I can’t help but keep asking myself over and over again.
I get lost in his kiss and I grind my pelvis into him.
I clench my legs together as he begins kissing my neck and I turn my head to give him better access.
We start getting carried away. I have no idea who’s watching us. But that’s the point isn’t it? My thoughts instantly go to that girl, Megan. That chick’s probably going to try and whoop my ass later.
Nello’s kissing me all over and I’m woozy with lust.
The music is loud.
But not loud enough.
Three gunshots ring out.
I’m all too familiar with this sound by now.
I open my eyes in time to see Dominick shove Caterina under the bar and shield her with his body.
Nello grabs me quickly and pushes me under one of the high tables. I hear another gunshot and everyone starts screaming.
“Stay right there, Violet! Don’t move!”
I’m scared as I crouch down on the sticky floor. Chaos ensues as everyone runs in different directions.
Nello crouches under the table and kisses me hard before he pulls his gun out from his waist band and runs to the left.
I can’t see much from where I am but I can see Dominick still under the bar and I can see Caterina’s feet behind him.
Two people start punching each other and they scuffle on the ground right in front of me. I see one of them take out a gun.
I scream and run out from under the table.
Dominick shouts over to me, “Violet, run!”
Run?
The word vibrates in my head.
Run.
Run.
Run.
This is my chance.
I run like I’ve never run before.
I push through bodies and try every direction. I throw elbows and step on feet.
Everyone, get the fuck out of my way!
I see a bunch of exit doors on the side and I run hard until I can make it through.
I push open the door and I’m in an alleyway.
I’m free. Oh my fucking God, I’m free.
I have to catch my breath but I speed walk through the alleyway.
I have no plan.
I try to think.
I have no money. No phone. No ID. Nothing.
Hell, I don’t even know where the fuck I am.
I’m thankful it’s fall and I’m not freezing to death but I don’t know how much longer I can spend in these heels.
Should I go back to my apartment? Back to Georgia? Should I go across the country?
And the big question is how.
I can’t walk there. Can�
�t afford a taxi. I don’t know the first thing about hitchhiking.
Unless I take off my shoes and just start running.
I hear a door open behind me and I see a man walk out. He’s wearing a suit but he’s much older than all the guys I met from the famiglia. I definitely don’t know him. I relax a little at the thought that it’s not someone who is going to try dragging me back to Nello.
I’m almost to the front of the building now and I hear Caterina’s voice. I peek around the corner and see her and Dominick getting in their car.
I feel a pang of guilt. I don’t want to leave her.
I debate going with them, but I’m not sure I can trust them. They’d probably just take me right back to Nello. I watch as they pull away.
I feel tears well in my eyes.
I start going back through the alleyway again. The man from before is just standing there, typing into his phone.
Definitely not a threat, I deem.
I need a solid plan. I take a deep breath and try and think.
“You’re Antonello’s girl aren’t you?” the man says to me.
I think fast.
“No. Not me.”
Suddenly, I’ve got a bad feeling about this guy. Nobody calls Nello by his full name.
I decide maybe it’s best I just go back inside. I try one of the side doors and realize it’s locked. It must only be unlocked from the inside.
“Really? Because that southern twang just about gives it away.”
“What twang?” I try my best New York accent and I fail miserably. He moves himself away from the wall and starts coming towards me.
Fuck.
Fuck.
I try to run towards the street and that’s when I feel my body slam into the brick wall. The brick scrapes against my skin and I realize Nello’s been gentle with me all along.
This man is forceful and I’m afraid he’s going to break my bones as he shoves me harder.
I try to scream for help as he fights me against me and tries to lift my dress.
“Come on, southern belle,” he taunts me.
“No! Stop! Help!”
He slaps me across the face.
I start to cry.
I should’ve never left Nello.
What have I done?
Antonello
“You better start giving me some fucking answers!” I yell as I bring the knife down on another one of this Crisanti fucker’s fingers.
The room fills with screams and I’m already tired of this bullshit.
We’ve got three of their soldiers tied up in the office. I’m livid.
I’m fucking furious right now.
Matteo got shot. He’ll live but he’s nineteen fucking years old. It’s like they targeted him. These Crisanti pieces of shit.
I look down and I see blood splattered on my shirt. We’re all filthy already, I realize as I look around at my men.
“I’ll keep going until you’ve got no more fucking fingers. Then, we’ll keep going until you’ve got no more fucking teeth! Now, answer my question!” I roar.
The fucker spits at me.
Stefano flips out and pistol whips the guy across the face.
I loosen my tie and toss it onto the desk.
“Hey, Capo,” one of my soldiers says to me.
I look over at him and follow his line of sight to the security cameras.
“Isn’t that your girl?”
I squint at the monitor of the back alleyway.
I see Violet turn and run and then one of the Crisantis shove her into the brick wall.
“Motherfucker!”
I run out the door and I know Gian’s following me.
I should’ve never left her. Not with the Crisantis invading the place. What was I thinking?
I curse myself.
I run as fast as I can through the building. I have two more floors to get down. It feels like forever by the time I bust through the door to the alleyway.
He’s trying to get his hand up her dress and I watch him smack her.
I don’t even have time to get my gun.
I just slug the fucker right in the face.
He falls to the ground and I get on top of him and I just keep punching him. I’m seeing red.
He throws a punch and gets me in the jaw. My adrenaline is so high I don’t even feel it.
Gian pulls me off the guy and I go right to Violet. She’s crouched on the ground sobbing and I pull her close. I cover her ears as Gian shoots the fucker.
“I’m going to call clean up,” he tells me and I hear him go back inside.
Violet’s shaking. I pull her into my lap and she buries her face in my neck.
“I’m sorry, Nello. I’m so sorry.”
I smooth her hair down and I feel her curls under my fingers. I swallow thickly.
“No, dolcezza, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you like that.”
I hold her for a couple of minutes until a few of our soldiers come out to clean up.
I shield Violet from them. I don’t want them to see her like this.
Gian tosses me a clean shirt and I quickly change and toss my bloody one in with the mess.
“Come, dolcezza. Let’s go home.”
We’re back home and showered. She put on one of those skimpy nightgowns instead of the normal clothes Cat got. I’m trying not to think about it.
She’s in my bed with me but she’s been quiet since we got home. I think she’s still shaken up.
I decide it’s best not to mention that I know she tried to run. She’s probably blaming herself for everything that happened as it is when it’s actually all my fault.
It’s my fault she’s even in this mess in the first place.
My phone pings next to me and I see a text from Gian.
“No answers.”
I sigh. Nobody talked, so by now they probably killed them all. What a fuckin’ waste.
I type up a text back to him. “How is he?”
I’m worried about Matteo.
“Alive.” The response reads.
I put my phone back down and I pull Violet close to me.
“They shot my little cousin.” I have no idea why I’m telling her this. We never tell the women business.
“They did? Is he okay?” She turns and looks. I see true concern in her eyes.
“Yeah. He’s going to be fine. He does good for a nineteen-year-old.”
“He’s only nineteen? And he’s in the mafia?”
Sometimes when she talks I want to laugh. I forget how little she knows about my world.
“I became a made man at seventeen. I got my first gunshot wound at twenty.”
“You’ve been shot before?” Her eyes are wide. It’s actually really cute.
“Yes, dolcezza, a few times actually.”
She’s so innocent. It’s hard to believe when she’s got that smart mouth going.
“You’ve earned your reward, by the way,” I tell her softly.
“How? I tried to run. I ruined everything.” Her voice is small.
I decide not to answer her question. I don’t care she tried to run. All I care about right now is that she’s safe with me.
I want to make her happy.
“What would you say if I told you that you could have whatever you want right now? And don’t say for me to let you free.”
She blurts out something I’d never thought she’d say.
“College.”
“College? You want to go to school?” I try to keep the surprise out of my voice.
“Yeah,” she looks away sadly. “I never got to finish.”
I hold her close to me and I wait until I hear her breathing even out before I let myself fall asleep. I’ll figure something out for her. If going to college would make her happy, I think I can do that for her.
Antonello (Mob Men Book 1) Page 5