Vinny’s car rolled up in the driveway. The guards knew him well and let him into the house.
“What the fuck is going on, G?”
As he stepped into the foyer, he stopped in his tracks when he saw Tony’s lifeless body on the floor. He was silent for a long while, then his face contorted as he spat out the word.
“Pisano?”
I nodded. “The mother fucker tortured and killed Tony, Vin. Beat him to a pulp. Now, he’s looking for me. He’ll stop at nothing to kill me—to make an example of me to everyone who dares challenge his power, and the honor of the Pisano name.”
“If you don’t kill him, Giani, I will. Either way, the murdering fucker is as good as dead. Where’s the Pisano woman, my apologies, Celina?”
His sarcasm cut deeply. He had no way of knowing what I felt for her. Why would he? It was laughable—badass hitman falls for the kidnapped daughter of a vicious mob boss. It was crazier than fiction! But it happened, and there was no going back. She hated me anyway, so why was I worried about her?
“She’s upstairs.”
“You brought her here? Are you crazy?”
“I had no choice, Vin. I couldn’t leave her at my apartment.”
“You should have killed her!”
“I can’t kill her, Vinny.”
He looked at me with a sudden realization on his face. “Oh, please don’t tell me you’re stupid enough to think there can ever be anything between the two of you, G. Tell me you’re not that fucking deluded.” He looked at me; the penny dropped. “You slept with her, didn’t you? Now her pussy’s gone and fried up your brain!”
His words made me angry. I wanted to punch him in the face, and I didn’t care that he was as big as a mountain. I’d put him right on his ass if he slated Celina again.
“Be careful, Vinny. Let’s leave Celina out of this.” My eyes warned him that I wasn’t playing.
He threw his arms into the air in a defeated manner. “Okay, but I’m telling you, nothing good can come from this. What’s your plan? How can I help?”
“Let’s take a seat in the living room, Vin. I have to collect my thoughts. There’s something else I want to tell you.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. She’s not pregnant, is she?”
“Get your mind out of the gutter. No, that’s not it, but it is a fucking blow to the testicles.”
Vinny followed me to the living room where I poured us a stiff drink. I handed the glass to him and sat down. Vin was never one for subtleties—he threw it back and put the empty glass on the glass table.
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“Dominick told me something earlier that blew my mind. He knew my father. Not only did he know him, but my father worked for him on and off.”
“You’re kidding.”
“He also told me who gunned him down in front of me.”
“Let me guess. Pisano?”
“The very fucking same.”
“That’s heavy, G. Did he say why Pisano did it?”
“My father was a paid snitch in order to fund his gambling addiction. I can only imagine that he’d let slip something that Pisano didn’t want others to know about, so he had him killed.”
“That fucker is a menace. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and I’ve got an icy bullet with his name on it right here.” Vin slapped his sidearm as he spoke.
“That’s if I don’t get to him first.”
Chapter Twelve
CELINA
I couldn’t stand the isolation any longer. I needed to know why Giani wanted to blow my brains out. The only reason I could come up with was that my father had done something unforgivable to him. Giani had blood on his hands and his shirt when he yanked me to my feet. In the fear and confusion, I didn’t have a chance to ask him about it. I feared for him. My father had very little conscience, if any, and the men who crossed him usually ended up floating in the river or the ocean.
I remember a traumatic incident when I was a young girl. The memory of it was buried deep in my subconscious until years after the event. I always assumed that it was a dream, but now I wasn’t so sure.
My father had a large luxury boat upon which he, my mother, and I spent a week every summer. There were always lots of people coming and going from the vessel, with parties and dinners catered for. One evening, I woke up thirsty, so I went to the kitchen to have a drink of milk. As I passed by the lounge area, I heard a scuffle and the sounds of a man gasping in pain. Muffled voices in menacing tones, accompanied the man’s groans.
As all children are, I was curious to see what had happened. As I came around the counter, I watched in horror as my father took a gun, put it to the man’s head while two men held the poor man’s arms behind his back, and pulled the trigger. He didn’t flinch, as if he was swatting an irritating fly. I screamed when I saw the man slump to the floor, motionless.
When my father looked up and saw me, he came over to me, picked me up, and took me back to bed. He didn’t say a word, nor did he ever talk about it. When I awoke the next morning, I was sure that it was a bad dream. Surely my father would never do such a terrible thing. I had a nightmare, plain and simple. That was the only time I ever saw him kill anyone; he made sure of that.
I asked my mother about it once, after the memory returned to me. She looked in my eyes, stroked my cheek, and said, “Darling, there are many things that happen in our world. Your father protects us from bad things. That’s all you need to know.”
It was her way of protecting me from the truth. My father did whatever he needed to do to stay ahead of the pack. If anyone challenged his authority or did anything to displease or insult him, the person would vanish without a trace. I couldn’t allow him to do that to Giani. I wouldn’t. I had to warn him. I banged on the door until a tall man with arms like tree trunks unlocked it.
“Please, I have to talk to Giani. Is he here? Tell him it’s very important that I speak to him.”
“I’ll tell him.” And with that, he closed the door in my face and locked it again. It was hard to breathe, but I pulled myself together and thought of what I would say to the man I loved.
***
GIANI
Frank came downstairs while Vinny and I were in the living room. He stood at the door and waited for me to acknowledge him.
“Yes, Frank?”
“The woman wants to speak to you. She says it’s important.”
“Thanks, Frank.” He disappeared from the room to go back to his post outside her door, I assumed.
“What the hell does she want?”
“I don’t know, Vin. I guess there’s only one way to find out.”
“I’ve got a few phone calls to make. I’ll talk to you later.” Vinny rose from his seat and left the room.
I had no idea what Celina was going to say. My emotions were up and down like a roller coaster. I was dying to see her and take her in my arms. But the realist in me warned that her affection for me was all in my head. I climbed the stairs slowly. I took with me some liquid courage. Celina and I could use some happy juice to calm us down. I hoped she wouldn’t throw the decanter at my head—not that I didn’t deserve it.
Frank sat on a chair outside the door. He opened it for me as I stood on the landing. He was discrete. He never looked at the decanter or made as much as a comment. I took a deep breath and entered the room, slowly, in case I had to dodge potential flying debris. Celina sat quietly on the bed, her legs crossed, her eyes big pools of sadness. I put down the decanter, poured her and me a drink, and walked over to her.
“Here, this will help.” I was surprised when she took it without arguing. Shit! I broke the poor girl.
“Thank you.” She took the glass and sipped the liquor. Then she looked intently at me. I couldn’t read her eyes.
“There’s only one person I know that can make any man as angry as you were when you put that gun to my head. What has my father done?”
“He killed one of my best friends. Beat him to a pulp and sta
bbed him in the chest with a hunting knife. Then, he got his foot soldiers to dump his body at the gate, like a bag of trash.”
Tears filled her eyes. She bit her lower lip, but I could see it shaking as she tried not to cry. I got up and went to the bathroom to get her a box of tissue. I laid it beside her on the bed and sat back down on the chaise lounge. She took out a sheet and dabbed it at her wet cheeks. She was so beautiful, even when she was crying. I watched as tiny red blotches formed on her forehead and listened as she spoke through a stuffy nose.
“I’m sorry, Giani. There’s nothing I can say that will still the pain in your soul.”
“There’s something else I need to tell you.”
She sat as still as a statue as she waited for me to speak.
“I work for the Coli family.”
Confusion flashed in her eyes, quickly replaced with hurt and betrayal.
“The Coli’s! But they’ve done so much to hurt my family. My father told me so many stories of how Dominick targeted him, spreading lies, and ruining business deals out of spite. They hate us, Giani. How could you keep this a secret from me?”
“There are two sides to every story, Celina. Want to hear my side?”
She nodded.
“My father was murdered in front of me when I was a young boy. He lay at my feet, bleeding, dying.”
“I’m so sorry, Giani. You never said. But what does that have to do with the Pisano Coli feud?”
“Your father was the one who had him killed.”
Celina didn’t speak; she just stared at me in disbelief.
“My father worked on and off for Dominick and his family for years. Instead of breaking his legs, as most reasonable gangsters would do, your father murdered him because he didn’t like something Tony said about him.”
Still, she said nothing. She simply stared at me, taking in what I said.
“Dominick and his wife, Gina, took me in when they heard that my mother had died of a drug overdose. Her heart was broken after my father died. They were highschool sweethearts—she tried her best, but she couldn’t face life without him. I was living on the streets; I had no family to speak of and no one else to take me in. The Coli’s cared for me and loved me like I was their own flesh. They did it because they’re decent people, Celina. They expected nothing in return, only to see me safe and happy. They’re not the monsters your father’s portrayed them to be.”
“I had no idea, Giani. My father is a ruthless man, that much I do know. I’m sorry he hurt you.”
“He’s murdered two people that I loved, Celina, and neither one of them deserved it. Tony was trying to protect me; that was his only crime.”
She cast down her eyes and stared at the tissue in her hands. She said nothing, but I watched as tears dropped from her eyes and landed on her crossed legs.
***
CELINA
My head was throbbing, and my nose was too stuffy for me to breathe through it. I kept wiping at my tears as if they would magically disappear, but they didn’t. There wasn’t much I could say to Giani. I thought back to all the times my father would rant and rave to my mother about the “fucking Coli scum,” as I lay in bed and listened while his booming voice filled the house. I hated it when he raised his voice. I feared for my mother. He was so unpredictable. One moment he was kindness itself. The next moment a switch in his head would flip, and he’d be a monster, spewing hatred and insults. He never hit my mother, but he may as well have. His verbal abuse did much more damage.
I wanted to wrap my arms around Giani and hold him until he felt better, but he hated me. If he didn’t hate me before, he’d undoubtedly hated me after the death of his best friend. Why did I get out of my car? My whole world was falling apart because of one careless action. If what he said about the Coli’s was true, then he had every right to kill me. I would have if I were in his shoes. But he didn’t kill me, did he? He cared for me and kept me alive even after he knew my father was looking for me, swearing he would kill him. Why? Was it to save his own ass or was there another reason? Perhaps he needed me alive so he’d have a bargaining chip.
I wish I had the guts to ask him, but deep down I was afraid of what he would say. If he kept me alive for his entertainment and selfish purposes, the love I had for him was in vain. Then, the lovemaking we shared was one-sided; I was the only one who felt more than I should have. You’re a fool, Celina. A pathetic fool. Your ego finally threw you under the bus. It’s all your stupid fault. Seduce him? Ha! You gave him the upper hand and now, you’re gonna pay.
I remembered seeing my father with the gun in his hand, the coldness in his eyes as he looked up and saw his little girl standing there, terrified and confused. What happened to the man my mother fell in love with? Was he ever real? Was he just a distant memory, someone she conjured up in her imagination? Was he ever the man she thought she loved or did he hide in plain sight until they were married? Why hadn’t she left when she realized her mistake? The answer hit me between the eyes as I sat there with Giani. You cannot choose who you love, Celina. No one knows that better than you at this very moment.
The door opened and the man from before motioned for Giani to join him. He left without saying another word to me. I cried some more.
***
GIANI
I felt sick. The day had not gone the way I wanted it to; it was all a fucking mess. I needed a few minutes to myself, so I went to sit next to the indoor pool. I dragged my fingers through the still water and watched as the ripples moved outward. Life was a series of ripples, and I hated where Celina’s and mine were heading.
Was it all in my imagination, or was I so desperate to see something that just wasn’t there? When Celina looked at me while I spoke about my parents’ death and Dominick and Gina, I thought I saw a softness in her eyes. Probably not. My eyes saw what I wanted them to see—hope.
I wanted so badly to kill her father. I hated him with every fiber of my being. How could such an evil man conceive such an angelic woman? I’d be a complete dick if I killed the father of the woman I loved. How could she ever forgive me? I’d lose her for sure.
Gina’s words echoed in my mind. Could Celina truly learn to love me, or was it all just pie in the sky? After the way I treated her, she’d be certifiable if she cared for me, even a little. Of all the women I’d been with, Celina was the only one who managed to hold my attention.
I knew what I had to do to avenge my father and Tony, but I didn’t look forward to hurting Celina. I, of all people, knew the pain of losing a father; how could I do that to a woman I professed to love?
“Giani.” Vinny’s voice startled me.
“Yeah.”
“I made a few calls. Let’s talk.”
“Sit down, Vin. It’s quiet down here at the pool. We can talk without interruption.”
“I’ve amassed a small army, called in a few favors, and we’re ready to kick Pisano’s ass.”
“He’ll have to come to us. We’ll be walking into a trap otherwise. He’s a cunning bastard. He’ll probably have some diabolical trick up his sleeve.”
“G, I know you’re not going to like this, but it’s the only way.”
“Oh no, I know what you're going to say and it’s no. I won’t dangle Celina like a worm on a hook, just so I can save my ass.”
“Giani, the time for sentiment has come and gone. Your whole family and your friends are in danger. It’s no longer Pisano vs. Giani; it’s Pisano vs. Coli. I know you don’t kill women, but come on buddy, now is not the time to hang onto your moral dilemmas!”
“It’s not that simple, Vin.”
“Explain it to me because from where I sit, you’re making no sense. Where is the Giani that gets shit done? The tough guy with steely determination who backs off for no one?”
“I love her, Vinny. There. You happy now? I said it. And there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it.”
Vinny didn’t look that shocked. He saw it coming. He knew me well enough to know that only love co
uld make me do stupid shit. He looked out over the surface of the water as if the answer to my impossible situation would float to the top any second.
“Are you sure, G? This isn’t an infatuation, is it? I’ve seen pictures of her; she’s a fox, I’ll give you that, but love is a fickle mistress. She can circle around and bite you in the ass when you least expect it.”
“I’m sure, Vin. I don’t even know if she feels the same about me, but even if she doesn’t, I won’t put her in danger.”
“That’s a swift kick in the balls of my brilliant plan. Any other suggestions, Romeo?”
“I’m working on it.”
“Not to pressure you, but you better work a little faster or we’ll all be dead before you can say ‘lovesick idiot.’”
“What if we plan a preemptive strike? Pisano would never suspect it. He doesn’t think we have the balls for it. If we attack him and his inner circle tonight, before he can wipe the shit out of his eyes, we’ll grind that fucker into the ground.”
“There he is, ladies and gentlemen. Giani is back. Do me a favor, don’t bring your pissy alter ego with you. I’d like to slap the shit out of him; he’s a real pussy!”
“Yeah, yeah. Wait until the shoe’s on the other foot, ‘one-night stand’ man. You’re gonna need me then.”
“Keep dreaming.”
***
CELINA
There was a knock on my bedroom door. I wondered who had the good manners to announce their presence. The door opened slowly, and a woman’s head popped around the corner. She was in her late fifties I guessed and clearly, growing old gracefully. I imagined her to have been a very pretty young woman.
“Hi, Celina. I’m Gina Coli. May I come in?”
I was stunned to learn who she was. For so many years I thought of the Coli’s as monsters and lowlifes; Gina was neither one of those things. I nodded my approval of her request, and she walked in carrying a tray with coffee and biscuits.
Ruthless Captor: A Mafia Romance (Corrupt Minds Book 3) Page 11