by Cala Riley
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Epilogue
About the Author
Acknowledgments
Also by Author
Matteo
The Syndicate Series, Book One
Cala Riley
Copyright © 2021 by Cala Riley
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, except brief quotes used for reviews and certain other non-commercial uses, as per copyright laws. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover Design: Books and Moods
Edited by: My Brothers Editor
To the broken reader who knows they deserve better but are scared to make the change. You deserve the very best and we believe in you.
Love,
Cala & Riley
“Hey! Come back here!”
I hear the shopkeeper’s angry voice, but I don’t slow down. I keep running as fast as I can, cutting through the next alley. Once I make it through, I head to the next subway stop and swipe my card as I fly through. I don’t hesitate as I see the doors closing. I slide through in just enough time. I breathe a sigh of relief as I pull out my score.
A loaf of bread.
I peel off a small piece as I chew it slowly. The hunger pains have been plaguing me since yesterday morning. I groan as the food hits my stomach. I know better than to scarf food down. Not only do I not know when I’ll get more, but it’ll also make me sick.
Been there, done that, I think to myself. I take another small piece before shoving it back into my ratty, old bag.
I go down a couple stops before I get out and head up to the surface. It doesn’t really matter where I end up. Being homeless, I don’t really have anywhere specific to be. I look around and notice I ended up in Queens.
Not my favorite place, but it’ll do.
I cringe when I think about who lives here. I hope I don’t run into him.
I continue walking the streets. I don’t like to steal. It just seems to be the only way to survive. I keep my eyes open, always watching for a potential mark. I usually only steal what I need, but sometimes I get lucky and can pickpocket some unsuspecting tourist or businessman. When that happens, I usually can feed myself for a week or two without needing to steal again.
Every Sunday, I repent for my sins. The church opens its doors for even the worst sinners.
I know what I am doing is wrong, but I cannot see any way out of it.
You see, I was a crack baby. Or so I’ve always been told. I don’t really know for sure because my mother left me at the hospital. From what I understand, my name came from a nurse who took care of me while I was in the NICU. Once I was released, I went into foster care.
I wish I could say that from there I was adopted by a wonderful family who loved me dearly. That would be a nice ending to this story, right?
Instead, I was passed from home to home until I ended up in an orphanage. People want babies, unless they are crack babies. Apparently crack babies cry a lot. They also have a wealth of other issues that come from being born this way.
I found that out when I got to school. Numbers and letters never seemed to look right to me. By the time I made it to high school, I was barely passing. I dropped out at sixteen, which is the same time I ran away from the group home I had been forced into.
It’s not that I’m not smart. I taught myself to read and devour any book I can get my hands on. It’s the school system that is broken. They have minimal funding, which means children with special needs get less help than they need. Add in the fact that I was in foster care and well, they blamed it all on my upbringing.
Ever since then, it’s just been me against the world.
I head into Highland Park and find a place to sit down. Finally finding an empty park bench. I pull out my bread and tear off a bigger piece before placing it back in my bag. I’ll need to make this last a while.
I sit watching the people around me as I nibble on my bread.
“Look who we have here? Trouble has come back to my side of town, eh?”
A body falls on the bench beside me. I do my best to school my expression. This is who I didn’t want to run into.
“Hey, Ricky.”
I don’t look in his direction. Ricky was homeless like me. We met a couple of years ago when I was almost pinched by the police for stealing. He helped me hide out until they gave up. We have been sort of friends ever since. No, not friends. Acquaintances. From the very beginning, I’ve felt creeped out by him.
“Haven’t seen you in a while. How has life been treating you?” he asks, picking up a strand of my hair.
I chuckle awkwardly, pulling away from him. “Last time I was in Queens, you weren’t thrilled with me. Thought I should stay away.”
Ricky has always had a thing for me. He is in his mid-twenties and saw me as a young, impressionable girl. He was wrong. He still doesn’t give up though, no matter how many times I turn him down.
“Come on. You know I always like to see you.”
He reaches out to touch my shoulder and I jump away.
“How many times do I have to tell you I’m not interested, Ricky?”
He holds his hands out like he is harmless, but I know better. Not long after we met, Ricky got a job dealing drugs. Ever since then, he has been trying to use his shelter and money to entice me to be with him.
Fortunately for me, I have never been that desperate.
“I got it. What have you been up to?”
“Oh, you know. Same shit, different day. How’s things been for you?”
I shove the last piece of bread in my mouth, ready to get away.
“Good. Real good. I impressed the bosses. I don’t just peddle drugs on the corner anymore. I’m becoming important. I could take care of you now.”
“I don’t need anyone taking care of me.”
He sighs. “Fine. At least let me give you some money.”
He pulls out a wad of cash and peels off a couple bills. I don’t bother looking over. I know whatever he wants in return is not worth the money.
I made that mistake once.
“No thanks. I’m doing good, Ricky. I don’t need your help.”
I look over at him and see the anger in his eyes. I move to get up, knowing it is best if I go now.
“Wait.” He grabs my arm. “I have a job for you.”
I knew that was what he wanted. The last time I took money from him, he asked me to pay him back by performing a job. He wanted me to rob someone dangerous. I was smarter than that, though. I don’t know if they were in the mafia or just rich, but I learned you don’t mess with those types of people.
“Not interested.”
“You are such a bitch, V. If I see you here again, you won’t be leaving. Understand?” He spits in my face.
I roll my eyes, acting unaffected. “You won’t.”
I hop up, breaking out of his
hold and head out of the park and down the street, trying to calm my breathing. Once I round the corner, I glance back to make sure he isn’t following. As I rub my burning arm, I see him heading in my direction. I take off at a run to put some distance between us. I round another corner and collide into something.
Not something. Someone.
We fall to the ground and I hear a deep voice curse.
“What the fuck!”
I look at him and see the most gorgeous man I have ever seen. He has a thick head of raven black hair, and just the right amount of scruff covering his jaw. Even with a suit jacket on, you can tell his man has well-defined muscles. This man is a walking god.
“Sorry,” I breathe out.
“You should be. Shit. What are you doing running around like a crazy person?”
Anger rises from within me as I take in his expensive suit. He would never understand what it is like to live on the street and need to run from danger.
I am still sitting on the ground as he gets up and dusts off his suit. I notice a wallet lying next to me and I look up to him. He is still not paying attention, so I push it into my bag. It’s his fault, really. He was such a dick I just couldn’t help it.
I jump up and look at the man.
“I said I was sorry. I’ll just get out of your hair.”
I go to move, but he grabs my arm. I watch as he takes my appearance in. I can only imagine how I look. I haven’t showered in days, hell, more like weeks. It’s hard to find a shelter with open spaces in the city. There are way more homeless people than there are places to house them. My hair is pulled up into a ponytail and my clothes only get washed when I can take them down to the pond to wash them.
“Are you okay?”
His voice washes over me, and my body betrays me. I sway a little closer to the man as a shiver rolls down my back.
“I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
I roughly pull my arm out of his grip and I take off running.
“Hey!”
I don’t look back, even though I can feel his eyes follow me as I put distance between us.
What a hurricane of a woman.
That is my only thought as I watch her run away. She literally blew in and knocked me on my ass. She was gorgeous, though. She was shorter than me, probably about five foot four. Her red hair was pulled high up on her head, but it immediately made me think of her fiery attitude. Even though her clothes looked rumpled, she still looked gorgeous in the jeans and T-shirt, neither hiding her figure beneath. I watch her until she turns a corner.
“You okay, boss?” Nico asks from beside me.
“Yeah. Let’s get going.”
We head down the street toward the subway entrance. Most guys in the organization took a car, but I found it takes too long and is more of a headache. I usually take public transportation when I can. We get to the turnstiles when I notice my wallet is missing.
“Son of a bitch.”
“What?” Nico says from behind me.
“My wallet is missing. I think the girl took it.”
“Want me to find her?”
“Yes. Give me your card.”
He hands me his subway card before heading back up the stairs.
Bash is going to kill me.
I make my way through the turnstiles, noting my men blending around me.
I don’t necessarily need the protection. I can take care of myself, but rules are rules. Capos don’t go out in public on their own. Since I prefer to take the subway, I’m stuck with taking several guards with me wherever I go.
Once in Brooklyn, I hop off, nodding to one of my men. They will stay on and patrol until I’m ready to go home.
Brooklyn is my home. I’ve lived here my entire life. There is no place safer in the city for a made man. With that being said, that’s not to say there isn’t still danger. We’ve had our fair share of action here, but lately everything has calmed down. There are made men on every street watching out for the people.
Our people.
“Sir.” I smile at Reg as he stands beside his car with the back door open.
“Hey. Thanks, man. How’s the family?”
He shuts the door, getting into the driver’s seat.
“Good. Mary’s pregnant again.”
“Congratulations. This is the fourth, right?”
“Yep. If she has any say in it, we will have a baseball team before you know it.”
“Don’t act like you don’t love it.”
He gives me a smile in the mirror. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”
“Good. How’s it been out here lately?”
“Good. Quiet. The neighborhood is livelier.”
“I’m glad to hear it. That’s my hope for Queens. To make it a safer place so people with hordes of kids like you have somewhere their kids can play without worry.”
“You’ll get it there.”
“Thanks, man. Sofia still giving you trouble?”
“Not at all. It’s an honor to serve her.”
“You don’t have to bullshit me, Geno. I used to protect her. She’s feisty and likes to cause trouble.”
I see a small smile. “She’s as lively as the neighborhood these days.”
“That’s a polite way of putting it.”
As we pull up to the estate, he loses his smile. He takes his job very seriously, as he should. He took over when I was moved to Queens. I know what kind of pressure it is to be taking care of the boss’s wife.
“Thanks, man. See you later.”
He nods in acknowledgment as I climb out of the car. Once through the door, I hear her voice.
“What took you so long?”
I lean in and give the lady of the house a kiss on the cheek. Sofia has become an important part of my life. She’s as important to me as my sister and mother.
“I got steamrolled by a woman on the street,” I tell her honestly.
She chuckles. “You? Steamrolled?”
“Are you going soft on me now, Matteo?”
I straighten as I hear Bash’s voice.
Bash is the leader of the Italian mafia and my boss.
“Not at all, sir.”
He chuckles much like his wife. “You can tell us what happened over dinner. Where’s Nico?”
“Out on a task.”
“Well, let’s go before I chew your arm off.” Sofia smiles as she rubs her belly.
She is about six months along now, but she still looks radiant. She is also hungrier than she ever was before, which I didn’t think was possible. Seriously, that girl can eat with the best of us.
They lead me to the dining room, and I smile as I see Mia and Izzy, along with Lorenzo and Giovanni, already seated at the table.
“Finally. What took you so long, Matty?”
I groan. These girls are never going to let me off the hook.
“Can’t I sit down before you start grilling me, Iz?”
“Nope. Start talking.”
I take my seat as Bash helps Sofia into hers before taking his seat at the head of the table.
“Fine. I was waiting on Nico to join me when this redheaded chick came running around the corner and slammed into me. Then she ran off. I found out after that she lifted my wallet.”
The whole table busts out in laughter.
“Damn, Matteo. You are losing your touch. You let some girl lift your wallet?” Giovanni says through his laughter.
“Keep on laughing. I have Nico hunting her down.”
“Do you think you were targeted?” Bash says with amusement in his eyes, but a seriousness to his tone.
“No. I think it must have dropped when she ran into me. She looked like she was running from something or someone.”
A smile slides onto his face.
“Then it was an unfortunate situation. What are you going to do when you find her?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Oh, you can’t hurt her, Matt,” Mia pleads.
Lorenzo leans into her and whispe
rs in her ear.
Mia is a sweetheart. She’s caring and kind. She’s the perfect contract to Lo as he is dark and demented.
“I won’t hurt her,” I assure her. “She looked like she needed the money. I just want to make sure she is okay and get my wallet back. I’d prefer my license not be floating around out there.”
“What makes you think she needed the money?” Lo asks.
“She looked homeless. She was young too. I mean, she should have known better to steal from me, but I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she’s new to the area and fell on hard times. I won’t know until I talk to her.”
I hear Sofia gasp as she looks near tears.
“Maybe she can waitress at Bello Italiano. She could work there until she gets on her feet.”
My heart warms at her enormous heart. Sofia has a rough past. She has a soft spot for young girls in trouble.
“Let him check into her first. Don’t go giving her your sympathy until we know she deserves it, tesoro.”
She nods at Bash’s words as she wipes her tears.
“Changing the subject. What’s for dinner?” I look around the table.
“Pot roast, potatoes, and carrots,” Mia answers me.
“Sounds delicious.”
Conversation at the table settles into everyday stuff as we load up our plates. Once everyone is ready to eat, we all stop and look to Bash.
“Let’s say grace.”
We all bow our heads.
“Thank you, Lord, for the blessings in our life. Thank you for bringing everyone here safely. Thank you for this delicious meal and my tesoro for making it for us. A special thanks for keeping Matteo safe on his journey, especially since he let a woman get the drop on him. Amen.”
Everyone giggles as they say their own Amens while I feel my face turn red.
“Let’s eat.”
After I take my first bite, I feel my phone vibrate. I pull it out and check it discreetly.