Reign (The Vendetta Series Book 2)

by Kris Anne Dean

  His voice shatters the surrounding silence, “Cosa Nostra was born to defend injustice, to sustain the values of family and respect for one’s word, the word of honor.”

  He lets go of my hands and picks up the knife, pressing its sharp tip into the pad of my trigger finger. The knife pierces my flesh, and he squeezes until blood oozes from the wound. The blood drips off my finger and puddles onto a picture of Saint Francis of Assisi.

  The empty warehouse is still and silent until his voice booms, “This blood symbolizes your birth into our family, we are one until death.”

  He places the card in my hand, lighting the corner with a Zippo from his pocket and tells me to repeat after him. My fingers become hot and the smell of melting plastic fills my nose as the card burns. I repeat his words, “I swear on my honor to be faithful to the Family just as the Family is faithful to me. Like these drops of my blood so will I shed my blood for the Family, and as this saint burns, so will my soul burn if I betray the Family. I enter alive and I will only leave dead. We live by the gun, we die by the gun.”

  The ashes fall onto the table as the card burns down to my fingertips, singeing my fingers before Vinny nods his head allowing me to drop the remnants into a bowl on the table.

  Vinny rounds the table toward me, placing his hands on my shoulders and a kiss on both cheeks. “Congratulations, my boy,”

  The rest of the crew follow, shaking my hand and patting my arm. “Let’s celebrate.”

  The fluorescent lights brighten the room and the strippers hiding in a back room are allowed to enter. They’re followed by a man with a radio and servers with trays of wine and food. The strippers grind their glittering bodies in an erotic dance, desperate for the men’s attention and the cash in their wallets.

  I turn to Vinny with a solemn look in my eyes. “With all due respect Uncle Vinny, let the men celebrate. I need to get home to Brie. The baby’s due any week now and she wouldn’t appreciate me getting my dick wet here instead.”

  He kisses both my cheeks again and squeezes my shoulders. “Go home, son but I need you and that beautiful girl of yours to meet me at this address at noon.”

  He hands me a nondescript piece of paper with another address scribbled on it. “Now go be with Brie,” he says turning his attention to the hot young blonde batting her long sparkling eyelashes at him.

  I watch the party unfold for a moment. I’m honored to be a part of the Family but I have my work cut out for me if I will be half the leader Vinny is.

  Chapter 2- Brie

  I’m alone in the darkness plunging further and further into an endless void. Nothingness enclosing me, squeezing the air from my lungs. My heart slams against my chest as Angelo’s haunting laughter surrounds me. I spin around and around, everyone I love in a circle before me. Gunshots echo in every direction and one by one they fall like dominos. An infant appears at my feet in a pool of blood. The same blood that stains my trembling hands.

  The sound of my own screaming rips me from the nightmare. They never end. Each one worse than the last. I’m free from Angelo’s grasp but I’ll never be out of reach. I roll to my side to find comfort in Cal’s arms but his side of the bed is cold. A hint of lights from the city below dance around the edges of the drawn curtains and I search the room for Cal. A wave of disappointment washes over me when I realize he’s not home. Letting out a deep sigh, I flip over stretching out my aching back. My disappointment gives way to worry. Cal’s working hard to cement his foothold in the New York territory and it hasn’t been easy for either of us. He comes and goes at all hours, some nights, not making it home before the sun breeches the windows of the hotel suite we’ve been living in. I rub my hand in circles on my stomach to calm the restless baby doing flips inside me. Gasping for air when it’s tiny foot kicks my sternum. It takes my breath away and like always; I have to pee. Hoisting my hefty body from the bed, I wobble to the bathroom to relieve my bladder. While washing my hands, I study my profile in the full-length mirror next to the sink drawing my shirt tight against my stomach. I can’t believe how big I am. Every muscle aches and I remind myself soon my baby will be in my arms. The pregnancy glow has faded and the bags under my eyes are less than beautiful. I long to be the woman I was when I was forty pounds lighter and my waist was fifteen inches smaller. The one that took Cal’s breathe away naked. When I was flexible enough to arch my back for his massive cock while we fuck hard and fast. It’s been weeks since we’ve had sex. I really need to get my shit together. The hormones surging through my body has me running hot and cold.

  My thoughts drift to the day, we found out I was pregnant. How happy and nervous we both were. It was the best day of my life.

  Leaving the cool early fall breeze at the lake house in Ashe, Cal and I set out on his Harley Low Rider heading to New York. We ride for several hours, with me holding tightly onto his thick body. My tits pressed firmly to his backside, while the vibration of his bike between my legs sends waves of desire through me. Between the glare of the sun and the heat radiating off the asphalt we’re both drenched in sweat before we make it out of North Carolina. I let out a soft moan into the crook of his neck and trail my tongue up and down the sweet spot until he pulls over. Parked in a row of trees off to the side of the road he swings me around to the front of him and removes our helmets. My hair falls in a tangled mess and he brushes it over my shoulder out of my face, leaning in to taste the saltiness of my skin.

  “Does my girl want to play, right here, right now?” His voice is like gravel in my ear, turning me on even more.

  “Stop talking and fuck me.”

  I free his hard cock from his jeans and shimmy my skirt up, straddling him on the seat of the bike. His muscular arms tighten around me, guiding me up and down with his hands on my ass. It’s fast and hot and multiple orgasms tear through me in an instant, leaving me breathless as he shutters under my weight. He catches the glimmer in my eye when my mouth opens to speak. The words are on the tip of my tongue but I can’t get them past my lips.

  “What’s on your mind?” He asks pressing his lips to mine. His kiss melts my reserve. The timing could be better, but I needed him to know that whatever future we were heading back to, we were heading there together, forever. I reach around him for my backpack and remove the pregnancy test. I don’t say a word. I just hold it in front of him. It takes a moment for him to realize what he’s looking at but when he does, the emotions glow in his eyes. They’re a window to his soul, a soul connected to mine, scars and all. We spend the rest of the trip, much the same way. Riding down the coastal highway, with my body pressed against his, the wind blowing through my hair, breathing in the fresh sea air, focused on nothing but each other. We ride, we make love and talk about our future. I believe Cal means every word, when he promises to protect me and always be by my side, no matter what.

  A promise, he’s kept every day since. Taking every precaution to ensure our safety. He even made arrangements with the FBI to delay Angelo’s trial until after the baby is born. The Carracci’s met some resistance with their move into New York. Even though Cal insists I have nothing to worry about. With Angelo in prison, the Bianchi Family mostly keep to themselves. The fact they haven’t retaliated should be a relief but the closer my due date gets the more my anxiety increases. I worry that Angelo will find out I’m pregnant and come to his own conclusions. I’ve done the math in my head a thousand times and even I can’t be certain. So many times I wonder if Cal does the same and if the baby was Angelo’s, would it make a difference?

  The thought of Cal dominating my body until I tremble underneath him leaves me with an urge I can’t self-satisfy. I cross the bedroom and draw open the silk curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s one in the morning and the party in the streets below has only just begun. My body has no sense of time, I sleep when it tells me to even if it means I’m now wide awake and horny.

  We’ve been living at The Royal Towers Resort, an upscale hotel in Midtown with a private tower exclu
sive for the hotels elite guests. Cal never told me how he scored us the suite but he was a master at making deals. They treat us like any other guests paying five grand a night. At that price the staff is overly accommodating and security is first class. We share our floor with only one other suite, which is always empty and the only way to access it is with a key card. Still Cal insists that one of his own men stand guard, just in case Angelo comes for me. All of Vinny’s men have welcomed Cal into the fold. With him being next in line to lead the Carracci Family they seem honored, more than obligated, to watch over me.

  Whenever Cal leaves, Dante handles my protection. As far as Vinny’s men go, he’s young and still trying to prove himself and his loyalty to the family, which is why he volunteered for the job. Cal was reluctant at first, given Dante’s lack of experience but Vinny vouched for him. Dante’s family has been with the Carracci’s for generations. I don’t even mind the security detail, even though I hardly think it’s necessary. I’m free to come and go as I please. Most of the time I do, but there’s nowhere to go this time of night when your eight months pregnant. I watch the crowd milling below for a few minutes, then make my way to the kitchen. The coffee maker hisses and gurgles as it brews and the aroma of dark roast coffee fills the air. I pour a cup and inhale the scent, taking a small sip before mixing in cream and sugar the way Dante likes it. It bothers me that he has to stand guard in the hallway, so on nights like this, I make sure he is comfortable, fed and hydrated. Cal doesn’t like when I invite Dante inside but sometimes the nights are long and it can get lonely for both of us. He’s good company.

  Last December, Cal returned to Boston for a few days to help Vinny put his affairs in order. Dante and I put up a Christmas tree and decorated the suite as a surprise for Cal. It was late when we finished and I wanted the company. He stayed to watch It’s a Wonderful Life, but we both fell asleep. Cal came home earlier than expected and instead of being surprised with the decorations he was furious to find Dante sleeping next to me on the couch. The fury in Cal’s eyes startled me but unlike with Angelo, it didn’t scare me. Cal would never hurt me. I even found his jealousy sexy. I didn’t intend to make him question my commitment to him but now Dante stays in the hall.

  I open the heavy wooden door leading to the hallway but Dante is not there. I place the mug of steaming coffee on the small table next to the stool where I expected him to be sitting. My bare feet sink into the plush hand-tufted carpet when I stroll down the semi-private hallway to look for him. The elevator at the end of the hall dings and I jump, my heart beats hard against my chest.

  The bellhop steps out and a tall man with thick jet black hair and dark eyes follows behind him. His scent is oddly familiar though I don’t know what it is or where I know it from. It’s obvious by the man’s posture, his close-shaven face and the well-tailored Gucci suit fit snug around his broad shoulders that he’s a wealthy man. No surprise given the price of the suites in this hotel but there’s something unsettling about him, I can’t put my finger on. His eyes lock on mine and chills run up and down my spine.

  “Is everything all right, Ms. Morgan?” The bellhop asks with concern in his eyes.

  “Yes Phillip, I was just looking for Dante, have you seen him?” I shift back and forth waiting for his answer, while the man behind him stares at me.

  “He stepped out for a smoke. If I pass him on the way down, I’ll let him know you were looking for him.”

  “Thank you, Phillip.” Breaking eye contact I turn back toward my room.

  The man’s eyes burrow into me as I walk the long hall toward my room. Once inside, I slide the deadbolt across the doorframe. Through the peephole I watch Phillip escort the new guest to his room directly across the hall. Phillip unlocks the man’s door and places his designer suitcase inside. The man enters behind him, sitting his briefcase on a table next to the door. He reaches into his jacket pocket and hands Phillip a tip. Even after Phillip exits the room, the man holds his stare at my door, like he has X-ray vision and knows I’m watching. A sinister smile tugs at the corners of his lips and he winks. The act surprises me and I move away from the peephole, leaning my back against the door. Who is this man and why does his presence rattle me? I turn and press my eyes back to the peephole and find the door across the hall closed. I must be stir crazy. Sure, I have reason to be cautious but this was different. Suspicion claws at me. Shaking my head, I cross the living room floor and take a seat at the glass desk. I can’t sleep now, even if the baby would let me. I need to focus on other things, Dante will return soon and everything will be fine.

  I turn on the laptop and open the file I’m working on for Vinny. He bought out a small investment firm and believes someone is skimming from the client’s interests. Vinny may be a successful businessman, but he doesn’t know the first thing about stocks and bonds, CD’s and IRA’s. He kept the employees at the firm, including the officers and asked me to look over the books. I’ve analyzed the numbers in several ways and agree something’s not adding up. The client’s interests are losing a tenth of a cent on every hundred dollars, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but over time it adds up. The numbers don’t lie but I haven’t been able to locate the source to confirm or deny his suspicions. I type up a quick email and send my analysis to Vinny’s account. Unable to keep my mind off the tall, dark, handsome but creepy neighbor, I turn my focus to the classifieds. Jotting down some promising leads on apartments and businesses to purchase to hide cash from our illegal dealings. When my eyes grow heavy, I turn off the computer and head to the door to check for Dante. Too embarrassed to open it, I look through the peephole and find Dante on the stool outside. I let out a sigh of relief and head to bed. With a little luck Cal will be home in a few hours and I can share with him what I found.

  Chapter 3- Angelo

  Every day I spend caged in behind these thick gray walls wears on my nerves even more than the last. The prisoners are all the same. Every one of them think they are stronger and tougher than the next, waiting to seize the opportunity to rise to the top of the food chain. Some of them use their time to lift weights or bench press as much as they can lift. Pushing their muscles to the max so they can stay strong enough to take another down. Others spend their time spewing hot air about how righteous their gods are, each group trying to outdo the other with their sermons. I wonder how many of them believe the shit that comes out of their mouths. Then there’s the other, much smaller group whose meek bodies cower to the massive tattooed muscle men running the yard. They snivel and whine about the injustice and how they don’t belong here. And then there are the guards, standing out amidst the sea of gray strutting around in blue uniforms, itching to exert force over the inmates. Regardless of the group they belong to there’s one thing that unites them all. Me.

  I’m as powerful behind these walls as I am on the outside. Without me, the Warden would have a prison in total chaos. I owe my power to the arsenal of drugs I keep flowing through this facility. Without my connections to smuggle in the cocaine, pot and the money I line the guards pockets with it would crumble in an instant. Inmates were slinging dope long before I got here, but I own the NYC drug ring and without me the connections inside these walls would dry up fast.

  I take a seat on top of the picnic table in the far corner of the yard and spot Malcolm approaching with his head held in shame. Satisfaction crosses my face and settles in the form of a grin. The men I commissioned on the inside circle Malcolm as he continues toward me. His body trembles with fear and sweat beads on his forehead. I have the prison’s biggest, baddest and dumbest mother fuckers in my pocket and if someone so much as looks at me wrong they go down. There’s an unspoken code among the brothers here, mind your own fucking business and keep your damn mouth shut. Malcolm broke both rules, as soon as he arrived, attempting to gain favor with the Warden by ratting out my operation. Rats live in packs, there’s never just one. That’s the trouble with being at the top, there’s always someone weaker than you, jealous of your successes.
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  Malcolm stops in front of the picnic table and looks up at me with bloodshot eyes. I stand on the table, towering over him and the wall of muscle enclosing us. I don’t need them to hide me or what’s about to happen. In fact, I want everyone to recognize my power, so I make it a big production. “I’ve got nothing for you Malcolm and neither do any of the brothers here. Your well has run dry.”

  His voice is low and he shows the yard he’s even weaker than they thought, “Please Angelo, I didn’t know how things worked. I would have never crossed you, if I did.”

  The men surrounding us move closer crowding him, taunting him with their fists slamming against the palms of their hands and just being menacing. It’s almost too easy, this poor bastard never stood a chance. I swear he’s about to piss his fucking pants. I jump off the picnic table clearing the bench below and land in front of him with a powerful thud as my feet hit the blacktop. “Have my men schooled you, now, Malcolm?”

  His voice cracks in his throat, “Yes.”

  The guards shove their way through the crowd and the men surrounding us shift like the parting sea. The guards can’t let this poor kid get beat within an inch of his life, again. I clench my hand and swing my fists hard into Malcolm’s stomach. He wraps his arms around his aching gut and doubles over in pain. I raise my knee, connecting with his nose and blood splatters on the leg of my gray uniform before two of the guards remove him from my presence and return him to the infirmary. Anyone else looking to worm themselves into the warden’s good graces will think twice before fucking with me.