Reign (The Vendetta Series Book 2)

by Kris Anne Dean

  Roars of agreement rose from the crowd and one by one they shuffle through the line the four of us once again formed next to the casket. They shake our hands and pepper kisses on our cheeks to offer their condolences. I can’t help but smile through my tears. By the time the last guests passes through the line, Cal has a dozen lipstick marks on his cheeks and a pocket full of envelopes but the funniest sight of all is the fear in his eyes realizing he’s about to become a father when I collapse into his arms and fight to hold back the scream of pain ripping through my body. “Cal, It’s time, I’m in labor.”

  My timing is impeccable. Life waits for no one. Not even the grieving. One last lesson for Vinny to teach Cal. The same day we place one in the ground another is born.

  Carra rushes to my other side and drapes her arm around my waist as they both help me stay upright in between contractions. “Nash get the car, quick.”

  We are the last to leave the cemetery, making it a clear path from where we are standing to the car. Or at least it was until Agent Kent and her new partner appear out of nowhere. “Nice speech Mr. Carracci. I guess we should expect some trouble.”

  Cal growls under his breath and pastes on a fake smile. “Agent Kent, if you came to offer your condolences for Vinny, then we gladly accept but if you're here to make waves, now isn’t the time.”

  “I’m sure you heard there was an unsanctioned hit on Carmine Bianchi. In fact, they held his funeral in the city earlier today. I was just wondering if you knew anything about that?”

  I look deep into his blue eyes and see a wave of raw emotion, anger and excitement swirling together. We never spoke about where he went the night Vinny died but somewhere inside I knew what he had done. I couldn’t fault him for it, even if another unsanctioned move put a target on his back. The Commission expects the families to play by the rules. It was their mistake to underestimate him, when it comes to Cal’s family all rules are off. My stomach tightens with another contraction and my knees buckle.

  Cal remains firm in his hold on me and his ground with Agent Kent. “Kindly move out of the way. We’re about to have a baby and I have nothing to say to you unless you have information on Vinny’s murder. Something tells me justice has already been served.”

  “Except it doesn’t appear to have been the Bianchi’s.” Agent Kent drops a bomb, that undermines everything we thought to be true with one sentence. She takes a step back as Nash pulls up with the car. She opens the door. “Let me get that for you.”

  Carra and Cal help me into the backseat and Cal slides in next to me. He reaches out to close the door but Agent Kent blocks it. She leans in and locks her eyes on me. “One last thing. Brie, does the name Detective Conroy mean anything to you?”

  My heart beats hard against my chest and sweat beads along my forehead. I hope she thinks the reaction is from the contractions and not the sheer panic welling up inside. Does she know? She couldn’t know. I swallow hard even though my throat is dry and stare back at her. “Never heard of him.”

  “All right then. You better get to the hospital.” She closes the door and steps back.

  Nash hits the gas throwing me back against the seat and takes off like he’s racing in the Indy 500. When a new contraction rips through my body, I beg for him to go faster but in the lull in between I’m a nervous wreck. This baby is coming whether we’re ready or not.

  ♥♥♥

  “One more push Brie, your baby’s almost here,” the doctor orders from his stool nestled between my legs.

  Cal paces the floor. He discarded his suit jacket hours earlier and now his tie is gone too. He tugs at the buttons of his shirt even though it’s already unbuttoned and the sleeves rolled up. I envy him at the moment; He has the easy part. I have an IV in my arm, an epidural snaked along my spine and even though my legs are numb, my body is on fire. I’m weak with exhaustion and can’t possibly push one more time. What does this guy expect from me? I’ve been doing this for hours. I’ve had enough. Asking me to push again is like asking me to end world hunger. It’s beyond my control. Cal moves to my side and squeezes my hand. He takes a deep breath and places his hand on my back. I scream as he pushes me forward and my insides explode. A piercing cry fills my ears and wraps around my heart as I fall back against the bed.

  “It’s a girl,” is all I hear as the doctor and a team of nurses clamp the umbilical cord. Cal cuts the baby loose and I close my eyes and steady my breathing. It seems to take forever before the nurses finish running their test and cleaning her. My body shakes as the nurse places her in my arms and I cradle her against my sweating body. She’s so tiny but absolutely perfect. Her big blue eyes are open wide and her little fingers and toes are curled up. I stroke my finger along her arm and the tears fall uncontrollably from my eyes. They say you won’t remember the pain of giving birth, but they lied. There’s no way I could forget this experience, but as I look in the eyes of my brand new baby, I can tell you they are right about it all being worth it. Cal sits on the edge of the bed and strokes my arm.

  “Want to hold your baby?” I ask, shifting her into his arms.

  Even through his grief, his eyes light up and a peace radiates over him. His body loosens, and the weight falls off his shoulders. A smile tugs at my lips at the sight of my tough guy turning to marshmallow at the sight of his baby girl. She’s all that matters. We’re all that matters.

  “You look tired. Why don’t you get some rest? There’s a lobby full of people that would like to meet our daughter.” He stands up in an awkward motion as our private nurse guides his arms so he doesn’t drop her. She’s so tiny in his massive arms. The sight fills my heart to the point it wants to burst.

  “Ok, but not for long.” My eyes are already fluttering closed, losing the battle to stay awake. “Tell them her name is Abigail Camilla Carracci.”

  Chapter 15- Cal

  I have a newfound respect for the female body. It amazes me what it can do. Brie amazes me. She spent hours in agonizing pain and still looks as radiant as she did earlier in the day. Rocking my daughter in my arms, I watch Brie as she falls asleep. My girls are the most important things in my life. I’ll do anything to ensure they are always just as peaceful.

  I let Brie rest and take our daughter out into the waiting room to meet the rest of her family. Word got out quickly, I don’t know why I’m surprised. They packed the room to capacity, everyone we love is here. The entire crew, my sister Carra and her husband Nash, Victoria and even a few faces I don’t recognize. Everyone that is, except for Vinny. The reminder threatens to break the bubble of bliss I’m in, if I let it.

  Carra sets down what must be her fifth cup of coffee and pounces on me the second I enter the small waiting room at the end of the hall. “Oh, she’s beautiful. Hi Princess, I’m your Aunt.”

  Princess, now that’s an understatement. This little girl is the Don’s daughter, she already has the world in the palm of her hand and anything her heart desires, if I have anything to do with it. The private nurse and I walk to the center of the room. Everyone stops what they’re doing to circle around us. “I’d like you to meet our daughter, Abigail Camilla Carracci.”

  It’s kind of ironic, everyone here was offering their condolences this morning and now it’s congratulations and more envelopes stuffed in my pockets. Nash pats me on the back and makes goo-goo noises at his niece. I let out a little chuckle. This kid already knows how to bring a room full of men with too much testosterone to their knees and she’s only a few hours old.

  “She looks nothing like you, man. Good thing,” he teases.

  He’s right, she has Brie’s nose and pouty lips. I don’t see myself in her at all and that realization concerns me but I don’t see a resemblance to Angelo either. Brie and I only discussed the possibility he could be her father once. It was hard for Brie to open up about what Angelo put her through but she eventually came clean. When she confessed that she let him touch her, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to throw something or throw up. What right did I have to be
mad? She thought I was dead and did what she needed to survive. It doesn’t matter anyway, as soon as the DNA test results come back, we’ll know for sure. No one else knows there was ever a chance Angelo Deluca could be her father and regardless of the results, no one ever will. “You’re telling me,” I tease back.

  Lu brings up the back of the line and hands me a rather thick envelope. I push his hand back and raise my brow. “You know this isn’t necessary, don’t you?”

  “Let us old-timers have our traditions. Family provides for the family, it’s our way of saying we accept our responsibility to protect and provide for her.” He pushes the envelope back at me and I stuff it in my pants pocket with the others, nodding my acceptance. “Sorry for the bad timing Boss, but I need to have a word with you about some friends of ours.”

  “Not here.” I let out a tired sigh. This definitely isn’t the time or place but if my Underboss says he needs a word, then my obligations must be to him.

  I hand the baby to the nurse. “Take her back to Brie and stay with her for a while, please. She’s exhausted.”

  I watch her walk down the hall toward Brie’s hospital room and wait until her and Abigail are safely through the security doors. Glancing around looking for a secure place to talk, I motion for Lu to follow. When we reach the elevator, we stand in silence until we can step in and the metal door closes us in.

  “The Commission is summoning you,” Lu informs me.

  That’s never good. I run my hand through my hair, close my eyes and take a deep breath. It’s been an emotionally packed day and I’m exhausted. “When?”

  He shifts back and forth not wanting to tell me. “Now.”

  “Might as well get it over with. Let Brie know I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The elevator door opens and Lu steps out, “put someone on her door.”

  Not knowing what I’m about to walk into, the possibilities run through my mind. Vinny’s murder, Carmine’s execution, my feud with Nitty Ninez undermining Angelo’s drug business, the possibilities are endless. I take the first cab that pulls up to the front of the hospital and give the driver an address. I really need to consider getting a driver. A man in my position shouldn’t be jumping into cabs to meet with mafia bosses and conduct business. I lean my head back against the seat and close my eyes, needing a few minutes of rest before I tackle whatever is waiting for me.

  Thirty minutes later, I arrive at the address. I tip the driver and continue on foot a few blocks until I reach my true destination. The Commission never meets in the same place twice which means a normal office space or anywhere public wasn’t an option. I enter the warehouse where a large table dominates the center of the room, surrounded by industrial equipment. My eyes roam the room landing on each of the men that summoned me here. The commission has always seated six bosses from the top families but with Carmine out of the picture only five remain. The Carracci’s aren’t large enough for a seat at the table but Sal Romano supposedly represents us and the other smaller families. According to Vinny, he backs whatever they put on the table. How you can run a profitable family and have a seat on the commission if you don’t have the balls to think for yourself is beyond me. Whatever they want, one thing is for sure I can’t count on him to have my back.

  “Relax, son. We’re all friends here.” One man motions for me to take a seat.

  I finally lower myself into an empty seat at the table. All eyes are on me as they puff on cigars. The silence hanging in the air is as heavy as my chest at the moment. One man appears to be in charge, more than the others.

  He strokes his thinning gray hair and the others sit silently while he speaks, “We called you here tonight as a courtesy. As you know there was an unsanctioned hit on Carmine Bianchi a few days ago. We want you to hear it from us that Matteo Deluca is the new Don of the Bianchi family and the Commission is seeking justice for Carmine’s murder.”

  I shift in my seat and the plastered smile on my face drops. “Carmine? I’m here because of Carmine Bianchi? Does that mean this Commission sanctioned the hit on Vinny?”

  He strokes his fingers on the top of the table. “Allow us to offer our condolences but Vincent Carracci died from injuries sustained from a car accident.”

  “That’s fucking bullshit and you know it. I saw the bullet hole in his chest. Brie had bullets whizzing by her head and a police officer is dead. How do you explain all that?”

  “Careful son. We blessed your promotion to oversee the family and graciously allowed Vinny to step down, because we like you. We like what you stand for and bring to the table. Don’t make us regret that.”

  I steady my expression into a blank stare and fight to keep my temper under control. “Let’s cut to the chase, can we? I buried Vinny this morning and my daughter was born a few hours ago. With all due respect, I’m in no mood to play games. Why am I really here?”

  A long pause follows my question. “We would like you to consider merging with Deluca.”

  The mood in the room shifts from the guise of laid back to full-blown tension. “Why would I want to do that? You know what his psycho son, Angelo did to my fiancée, don’t you?”

  Another man slides an unmarked envelope across the table towards me. “You’ll find the answer to that inside. Read it, then give us your answer.”

  I pick up the envelope and stand to leave, when I’m stopped by another man’s hand on my arm. I’m fed up with this conversation and nothing will make me change my mind, but I wait.

  “Speaking of Ms. Morgan,” he says, “the commission has decided that you should step away from the girl. Angelo Deluca laid claim to her.”

  He shoots me a warning look and I know I need to choose my words carefully. I stall knowing my answer means there will be a fight. One that’s been in the works a long time. It’s come down to the old school versus new school and as much as I despise Deluca, our generation was shaping the future of the Mafia as we know it. Fuck this guy though if he thinks he can tell me what to do when it comes to Brie. “Deluca laid claim to her? The commission sanctions kidnapping, torture and rape now, do they? Let’s get one thing clear here. There is no way in hell I will ever step away from Brie or my daughter and I won’t join forces with any Deluca.” I slam my fist on the table and push back in my seat, sending it thudding to the floor when I stand. “I think we’re done here. Good night, gentlemen.”

  I snatch the envelope from the table and storm out, rage seeping from every pore. From behind me I hear his deep voice echoing through the warehouse, “Are you sure she’s your daughter?”

  Chapter 16- Franco

  I fumble with the lock on the basement door juggling a bag of pastries and two cups of steaming hot coffee. I don’t know why I bought this prick a coffee. He’s a hired gun, a low man in the Bianchi organization and a real asshole. Still, I know how being cooped up for days on end playing guard to hysterical females can drive a man bat shit crazy. Now that there’s been a hit on the old man I’m one step further up the ladder. It won’t be long until Angelo takes over the family and I’ll be second in command over it all. Living the high life. I might as well try to play nice.

  When I open the door, I’m assaulted by uncontrollable sobbing. I turn and lock the only entrance to the concrete dungeon and walk towards the girl. Madeline Winehold can’t be more than twelve years old, still innocent in her youth despite having a degenerate for a father. Madeline recoils back against the wall twisting the blanket on the cold concrete floor beneath her legs. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying.

  “Eat.” I toss her the bag of pastries and scan the room for Charlie but with the small windows up high blacked out it’s hard to see anything. There’s nowhere for them to go yet I can’t see him or the girl’s mother. A scream echoes off the concrete walls. I set the coffee cups down and follow it to the far back of the room towards the buildings pipes and boilers. In the dark shadows I see Charlie has the woman pinned against the wall her arm twisted behind her back while he grabs at her clothing. So much for play
ing nice.

  “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I growl, my voice echoing around us.

  Charlie releases his hold on the woman and they both turn toward me. Disgust boils my blood when I see her. Her hair is disheveled and bruises run up her arms and around her throat. No one ever expects to be a hostage in a dark, dank basement but this setup was way beneath her lifestyle. There was a fury in her eyes when we first brought the high society snob and her over privileged daughter down here but now, after days of being locked away in the dark and assaulted, she seems empty and weak. Almost hopeless. I know better than to get attached but I can’t help feeling sorry for them. Her husband thinks he rules the world, in and out of the courtroom. Judge Winehold is in deep to the Bianchi’s and if he doesn’t come through, he’ll lose everything and so will his wife and child.

  “I brought food, go eat with your daughter,” I bark and she cowers around him, backing away until she’s just out of reach and darts the length of the room towards the young girl. “Keep your dirty fucking hands to yourself.”

  “I’m just having a little fun before we kill them.” His careless words cause the girl to shriek as she buries herself against her mother. Fresh tears stream from both their eyes and they choke back the sobs.