Reign (The Vendetta Series Book 2)

by Kris Anne Dean

  I wallow in my loneliness so long I hardly notice I’ve covered half the city. My feet slow when I near an old rundown building that used to belong to Angelo. Since he’s been in jail and his assets frozen, many of his holdings were sold off. Vincent Carracci has snatched up many of them for a steal. I’m not worried about prying eyes or the Carracci’s stumbling upon us. We’re keeping a close eye on his acquisitions and they left this one abandoned like many others. They serve no purpose to the Carracci’s other than to remove Angelo’s holding on the city brick by brick. What better way to stake your territory than to monopolize ownership of its real estate. Too bad for them they don’t realize how ruthless the Bianchi’s can be.

  I inhale a deep breath and exhale slowly, calming my pounding heart and scan the street for onlookers. There’s a handful of people nearby but most have shifted away. The door creaks when I open it and close it tightly behind me. The air is stale and the scent of urine and rot fills my nose, turning my stomach. I make my way down the dark and narrow hallway littered with garbage and rat feces towards the stairs. The whimpers from the other side of the locked basement door hurts my ears. I can’t bring myself to go in there and listen to their pleas just yet so I sit on the bottom rung of stairs and hang my head. Every instinct in me screams at me to unlock the door and walk away but I’m in to deep. There’s no way out for any of us.

  Chapter 10- Brie

  I say goodbye to the ladies, for a third time, while Dante loads the baby gifts into the trunk of the car. They’re sweet to throw me a baby shower but I’ve reached my quota of politeness for the day. Four hours of being told how to raise my child and how to behave as the future Mrs. Carracci by aging old school wives was exhausting.

  I let out a yawn and rest my head against the backrest while Dante pulls away from the curb. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

  “No problem. Did you see their faces when I said Cal wanted you at the meeting?” Dante laughs.

  “Oh my god, that was priceless. I thought they would stroke.” Laughter fills the car. “Did Cal really ask you to bring me there?”

  “See for yourself.” Dante hands me his phone and I scroll through his message with Cal.

  Cal: How’s Brie surviving the baby shower?

  Dante: She’s hanging in there.

  Cal: Something's come up. Family meeting at the bar in two hours. Bring Brie.

  Dante: Will do

  “That’s it? What’s come up?”

  “No idea but we have some time. Would you like to swing by the hotel and change?”

  “Yes, please. I’m going to rest until we get there.” I lean my head back again and close my eyes. I’m too tired to carry on a conversation but my mind is working overtime worrying about Cal’s encrypted message.

  The vibration of the car comes to a stop and my eyes flutter open. Dante circles the car and opens my door to help me out. I realize I’m still holding onto a hand-knitted baby blanket I received at the shower. I weave my fingers through the loosely woven holes of soft greens and yellows and inhale its essence deep into my lungs. It’s strange how connected I feel to such a simple gift, it’s perfect in its imperfections. I can’t explain it but its scent reminds me of home. I’ll have to remember to ask Vinny about the heirloom. I can already picture my baby swaddled in its softness. I’m lost in thought when Phillip rushes over to help Dante gather the gifts. “Let yourself in. I’m going to change.”

  I start up to the room before Dante has time to argue with me. I need a few minutes alone and his arms are too full to chase after me. Cal won’t like that I don’t have an escort but there are people everywhere. What could go wrong?

  When I reach my room, I take one last sniff of the blanket that’s already imprinted on my senses and place it on the sofa. A feeling of unease washes over me when I spot the drawn curtains. I know I opened them earlier. I pull them back and the afternoon sun floods the room. The brightness glimmers off a silver picture frame also out of place. I pick it up and return it to the end table next to the sofa. Chills run up and down my spine, as if someone was watching me. I spin around and scan the room but I am alone, as I expect to be. Tamping down the unease I make my way into the bedroom to change. Housekeeping must have been in here, there was no other logical explanation. I have to stop being so damn jumpy.

  Slipping out of the dress, I pull on a pair of stretchy jeans, a loose-fitting blouse and twist my hair back into a ponytail. A faint sound of shuffling feet and a shadow passes under the bedroom door. I balance myself on the edge of the bed and struggle to reach around my pregnant stomach to slide on a pair of flats.

  “Dante just put them next to the blanket on the sofa. I’ll be out in a minute.” The movement on the other side of the door ceases but there’s no reply.

  I’m on my feet in an instant when the sharp sound of crashing glass resonates through the suite. My trembling fingers slowly turn the doorknob and inch it open. My heart beats hard against my chest when I peer out. The room appears empty but the sound of hurried footsteps tells me I’m not alone.

  I yank the door fully open and rush into the empty room ready to berate Dante for scaring the hell out of me. A shard of broken glass pierces the soul of my shoe and I wince from the stabbing pain. I sit on the sofa to remove the bloody fragment from my foot and pick up the shattered picture frame, running my fingers over the jagged edge of the photograph with my image torn out. Confusion takes over, I lay the broken frame on the table and scan the room. Who would do this and why?

  My gaze falls on the wall to my side and sheer panic grabs ahold of me, squeezing the air from my lungs when I notice the message spray painted on the wall. I stare helplessly at the words through tear-filled eyes when the sudden creak of the front door draws me from my trance. I run toward the open door and step out of the room, glancing up and down the hall to see the stairwell door closing.

  Every instinct in me screams at me to follow whoever was here but my feet move in the opposite direction, though I didn’t tell them to. I bolt down the hall and rapidly tap the call button on the elevator. When the door opens I stumble into it and collide with its passenger. A hand wraps around my shoulders and I look up to find Dante staring at me with an alarmed expression. His lips move but the throbbing in my head drowns out his words. He shifts my body behind his and steps off the elevator toward the room.

  Reaching out, I pull him back into the elevator with me. “Take me to Cal, now.”

  “All right but first take a deep breath and tell me what happened.” Dante’s soft voice grows firm and his body stiffens ready for action. He’s insistent on going inside but I can’t let him. He can’t see the message on the wall. I can’t let my secret be exposed.

  I grip onto him tighter. “Don’t go in there, Dante. Take me to Cal now. That’s an order.”

  Dante drills me with questions as we leave the hotel and drive to the bar. My silence weighs heavy in the air and impatience replaces his usual laid back demeanor. When he pulls the car into the back alley, I bolt from my seat and into the bar before he can turn off the car. I like Dante. I know he’s frustrated and worried about me but I can’t confide in him about this. My head is spinning and my body shaking. Cal’s the only one I trust with this secret and he’s the only one who can help me now.

  “Brie, what’s wrong?” Cal shifts to look me over. “Your trembling. What happened?”

  Dante bursts through the door and is in front of Cal and I as fast as he can move. “Cal, she won’t talk to me. I don’t know what happened. I was carrying her gifts up to the room and I know I should have made her wait but you know how stubborn she can be. She was only alone for ten minutes at the most before she came running out. Crying and shaking and insisting I bring her to you.”

  Cal’s eyes narrow at Dante. “I’ll deal with you in a moment. Let us talk.”

  Dante turns away and joins the rest of the men on the other side of the bar where they are gathering for the meeting. I stretch up on my tippy-toes and bring
my lips close enough to whisper in Cal’s ear. “Somebody knows,” my quivering voice comes out in small bursts. “Someone has the gun. It’s spray painted all over the room.”

  The arctic blue in Cal’s eyes turn to ice and anger pulsates through his body. He pulls me close as I tremble in his arms. His sheer strength evident in the tightness of his arms wrapped around me. “Stay here with the guys, while I check it out. I’ll be back soon.”

  “What are you going to do? No one can know what it says.” The chill coursing through my body thaws, cradled in Cal’s strong arms with my head resting against his firm chest.

  I inhale his scent of leather and motorcycle exhaust. The steady thump of his heartbeat in my ear eases the shock away. “Don’t worry Princess, your secret is safe with me.”

  He places a tender kiss on my forehead and motions for Vinny. They keep their voices low enough no one else can hear.

  “There’s been a threat made against Brie. I need to go to the hotel and check it out. Will you stay here with her and tell the men to stay put?”

  “Whatever you need but if your suite is compromised, you probably shouldn’t go alone. Take Marcus with you, he’s strong.”

  “No. I have to handle this myself. So keep it between us.”

  “Fine, but it doesn’t sound like it's safe for her to return there. You’ll stay with me.”

  “Thanks Uncle Vinny. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Cal kisses me again and whispers in my ear, “We’ll figure out who’s behind this. I promise.”

  His breath is warm against my skin and leaves my legs weaker than they were when I came in. I take a seat on a bar stool to rest my unsteady legs. Cal heads out and Vinny tells the men the meeting is delayed. They let out a series of low growls and complaints so I motion to the bartender to take over a round of beer and turn up the music so they calm down. Drinks may make the men rowdy but after the night I’ve had I need to keep them occupied while Cal deals with the problem and I have time to think.

  Searching the crowd I wonder who besides Cal and Vinny I can really trust. I follow the line of faces around the room and stop on Agent Kent watching me from her seat on the corner bar stool. The glossiness in her eyes and the loose strands of hair poking out of her bun tells me the whiskey and ginger ale she’s slamming back isn’t her first one today. Has she been here this whole time? I was so wrapped up in my drama; I didn’t even notice her. I can’t take any chances. I have to do damage control and see if she overheard anything.

  I move behind the bar and mix her another drink. Plastering a fake smile across my face I slide the glass towards her. “On the house.”

  She finishes the drink in her hand and lets out a sigh before picking up the full glass. “Looks like we’re both having a bad day. Why don’t you join me?”

  “I wish I could,” I say rubbing my hand on my stomach. “Any day now.”

  She downs the glass and I pour her another. “A glass of red wine won’t hurt the baby. Besides, I’m drinking for Emilio tonight. He liked you.”

  I liked him too, once I realized he wasn’t one of Angelo’s hired guns. Even before that, he showed me compassion while Angelo had me under lock and key. My thoughts drift back to the night Angelo shot him in cold blood. How I watched him die before my eyes. His last words a plea for my escape. “In that case, I’ll have a few sips.”

  Turning toward the back bar I grab a bottle of Red Merlot. A clicking noise catches both our attention as something metal drops to the floor. Agent Kent leans over the bar watching as I reach down and pick it up. I turn the gold sunburst pin over in my hand and read the inscription City of New York Police Department. My heart skips a beat and my knees weaken even more. I brace myself against the counter. After the threat made earlier, I can’t help but wonder if it belongs to Conroy. It’s not likely a detective misplaced it. I was being setup to take the fall for Angelo. I quickly tuck it into my pocket, praying Agent Kent is too drunk to realize what it is.

  Vinny rushes to my side and helps me to a stool. His eyes narrow and his brow throbs as he takes the glass from Agent Kent’s hand. “You’re cut off. I can call you a cab if you like.”

  Her eyes dart back and forth between us. “I’ll walk.”

  She removes her wallet from her purse and Vinny places his hand over hers. “Your money’s no good here. Be careful getting home.”

  Her hand covers his and with the other she gently squeezes. “If you ask me, it's you and Cal that need to be careful. Not that long ago, she was twisted up with your number one enemy and still might be for all we know.”

  Is she fucking kidding? If anyone here can’t be trusted it's her. Last I knew the gun used to kill Detective Conroy was in FBI custody. I clench my fist and jolt from my seat. Vinny stops me with his massive body holding out his arm to block me as Agent Kent slips off her seat.

  “Brie is a part of this family and always has been.”

  “Good luck, you’re going to need it,” she slurs and slinks off behind us stumbling out onto the street.

  I settle back on the stool and sip a glass of red wine the bartender placed in front of me. “What do you mean, always has been?”

  “I’m starting to think you don’t know who you are, my dear.” Vinny places his hands on my shoulder as he moves away. “We’ll talk about it later. I should make sure Agent Kent gets home safely.”

  Chapter 11- Cal

  The look in Brie’s eyes as she trembled in my arms just about killed me. It’s a look I never want to see again. I vowed to protect her but apparently I haven’t done enough. Rage surges through my body tensing my stiff muscles as I roll a fresh coat of paint on the wall to cover the message. I have the gun.

  How the fuck could this happen?

  I spend hours covering the spray paint on the wall. Hours not spent with Brie. Hours brewing in the rage boiling in my veins. Hours stewing on who’s behind this. One person keeps coming to mind. The only person capable of hurting her this way. Angelo Deluca.

  How the fuck did his men get past my security protocols? Brie has more eyes on her then she knows and a pair on this building at all times. Which means he’s gotten clever, but not clever enough. His obsession with Brie makes him dangerous, but it also makes him stupid. It’s clear a jail cell won’t stop him, so I will. The only thing standing in the way of my Glock 19, are prison walls. I need to find a way in but first I need to settle things with Nitty Ninez before anyone else thinks they can fuck with my family.

  I shove a handful of clothes and some personal items into a duffel bag but before I can make it out the door my phone buzzes with a text from Brie. I turn back and flip over every cushion and pillow on the sofa, searching under it, behind it everywhere I can think of but there is no sign of whatever blanket she is asking for. It will disappoint her but it’ll have to wait. Time is wasting.

  After several minutes I give up the search and make my way out of the hotel, stopping only long enough to confront Marco positioned out front. “I want to know everyone that’s come in and out of here today. Guests, employees, everyone.”

  “Right here boss,” Marco taps on the camera hanging at his side. “I’ve taken pictures of everyone whose passed through those doors but I haven’t seen any signs of trouble.”

  “Yet we’ve had trouble. How do you explain that Marco?”

  His eyes widen at my question. “What kind of trouble? It might help to know what happened.”

  I struggle to keep my temper under control but the very thought someone got to her right under his eye is pissing me the fuck off. “Someone broke in while she was inside. You and Dante have both let me down today. I’m trusting you with the two most important people in my life, don’t fail me again or I’ll have you and your brother removed from her detail and back to digging ditches.”

  “I’m sorry Boss. How can I make this right?” His body trembles under the heat of my glare.

  “Get these photos to Nash and have him run them through facial recognition. And pay better attention.”<
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  Before he can respond I slide into my Camaro, crank up the music and peel out of the drive at top speed.

  By the time I make it back to the bar, my frustration is at an all-time high. The evening has taken an unexpected turn and my men have been waiting for hours. Any more distractions may send me over the edge. I park my car in the alley and enter through the back door.

  “Closing time. Everyone out, now,” the deep tone of my voice reverberates off the walls.

  I toss the duffel bags I’m carrying onto a table and stalk through the bar ushering the crowd out the door. When the last person exits, I lock the door and turn off the neon open sign, glaring through the window. I turn to find Brie standing behind me. The fear in her eyes has lifted and her body relaxes against my chest as I pull her close, wrapping my arms around her. The soft scent of cherry blossoms drift off her sensual body and go straight to my cock. It instantly hardens in response to her closeness and her eyes flood with desire.

  “Where’s Vinny?” I ask, peppering the top of her head with kisses.

  She looks up at me with her big brown eyes causing my heart to race in my chest. I can’t get enough of this woman, but the urge to bury myself inside of her has to wait.

  “Making sure Agent Kent, gets home safely,” she scoffs, making quotation marks in the air with her fingers.

  “Really?” My right eyebrow lifts and her eyes flood with desire. I love how such an involuntary action always gets her going. Tearing myself away from her tonight is proving to be harder than I expected.

  I’ve been looking for an in with Agent Kent. The death of Emilio has her teetering the fine line between justice and revenge and I was hoping to convince her to help me get to Angelo. I already cashed in my one favor when I asked for immunity for any crimes Brie committed while she was with Angelo. It wasn’t an easy sell, especially since I wasn’t offering any real proof of a crime. I assumed the Fed’s had the gun and once I learned what Angelo put her through, I couldn’t take any chances. The blood staining her hands is only there because he forced her to pull the trigger. And now it turns out the Fed’s don’t have it. Maybe I can use her fondness for Vinny to strike where she’s most vulnerable. Once I have her on the ropes, there’s no telling what having the FBI in my pocket can mean for business.