I woke to an empty bed. Actually, Alessio woke me before he left to let me know that Julian and Eros were on duty, and he had to see to business. I know what that means. It means that a man’s life ends today.
I should be used to it. My father used to come home reveling in the blood he shed. He would waltz into his office, liberally discussing the ugly details of his kills. It wasn’t meant for my ears, but I could hardly not hear him. He was laughing so loudly with his men he invited back for a celebration. It took Mom days to get the blood out of the carpet. Dad hated a messy house, and I’ve seen the bruises on my mother if things weren’t just so. Even though we had a housekeeper, Dad wouldn’t let anyone in his study.
I would scrub the carpet with her while my sister made googly eyes at the men paid to guard us. I don’t think my sister would recognize a sponge if it hit her in the face.
When it was finally done, washing the traces of a man’s death from the material, Mom would take me to the kitchen and make me hot chocolate and give me a cookie. Only one, though, because Dad didn’t want fat daughters.
A shudder runs through my body from the memories of Dad’s harsh words. “A man wants to fuck a beautiful woman, and since I’ve been cursed with girls, the sooner I marry you off, the better. Then you become someone else’s problem.” If only that were the truth. He played cat-and-mouse with Aurelio and then decided he wasn’t fit to take over his territory, and my sister’s husband became worthy for such an honor.
It went from bad to worse, and I honestly thought Aurelio would eventually kill me, if he hadn’t been murdered by the Russians. I would have sent them a thank-you note if it wasn’t crass.
I felt that twinge of fear again when Alessio flipped me onto my hands and knees. The flash of Aurelio brutalizing me came rushing back. He would push me down, hold me there, pressing me so hard against the mattress that I could hardly breathe. Then he would fuck me so violently that I would bleed.
“I don’t want to see your face. You’re a fuckhole, and as soon as you get pregnant, I won’t have to do this again.” He would hit me if I moved, but I couldn’t help it; it hurt so much.
When I felt Alessio gently turn my head to kiss me as he came inside me, I knew I was safe. I didn’t want it to end. I wanted to hold on to my orgasm as long as I could, just so he would hold me. I shouldn’t have worried, though, because when we were done, he held me for the rest of the night.
Alessio’s not a good man. I know this, but why do I feel so much for him? It can’t be love. I’m not meant for love, and I would be letting myself in for a disappointment. Alessio could never love me. I’ll be lucky to hold his attention long enough to have a child of my own to give my affection to.
I climb out of bed and jump into the shower. I take care to dress in the manner a capo’s wife should dress, in tailored dark gray pants and sea-foam-green top with flats and minimal makeup. I think I’m ready to tackle the day. I leave my hair loose, letting it flow over my shoulders and down my back.
Santina is in the kitchen putting away groceries.
“Good morning, Mrs. Cassini. Can I make you some breakfast?”
“Good morning. Don’t go to any trouble. I’ll make myself a slice of toast,” I tell her.
“I don’t mind. Really.”
“I’m not much of a breakfast person. Toast is plenty.” Before I can make a move, she’s putting the bread in the toaster and is pouring me a cup of coffee. I feel like I’m intruding in her space. “Do you mind if I eat in here?” I ask.
“Mrs. Cassini—”
“Josie.”
“I’m not sure that Mr. Cassini would like that.”
“Maybe you can call me Josie when we’re alone?”
A shy smile comes across her face. The toast pops, and Santina is quick to butter it thoroughly and set it down in front of me. When I try to take a bite, she stops me. “At least put some peanut butter on it. You’re too thin, you need protein.” Without further ado, she grabs a jar of peanut butter from the pantry and puts a thick layer on one of the slices.
I grin. “Thank you.”
And just like that, the ice is broken. Santina and I chat for the next hour getting to know one another. She shares pictures of her new grandchild. She’s a proud new Nonna, and I quickly know that I like her very much.
When the phone rings, Santina picks it up. “It’s for you.”
“Me?” Who would be calling me? I take the phone from her. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Cassini, it’s Valentina, Julian’s sister.” Her melodic voice is soothing and sweet.
“How are you?”
“Fabulous, but I wondered if you would like to go for lunch today? I’m sure that you’ve been running ragged planning the wedding and all, and I thought a little time away would be a good way to relax. Are you interested?”
I don’t know what to say. After all that happened yesterday, I’m unsure whether Alessio would be happy to have me leave the house. “Well, uh…”
“Why not call Mr. Cassini to see if he doesn’t have other plans for the two of you, and you can call me back,” she suggests. Her bubbliness is addictive.
“If you don’t mind.”
“No, or I can pick something up and we can eat on the terrace. It’s a beautiful day out,” Valentina says.
I’m not sure if I’m ready to go back out there after yesterday’s fiasco. I take her number down and head upstairs to find my phone, still in my bag.
Alessio
“Josephine.” When her name flashes on my screen, I think the worst. I’m appeased when her sweet voice sounds serene.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you.” What am I supposed to say? Nah! No worries, just torturing the asshole who tried to take you from me.
“I’ve got a moment.” I glance at the man bleeding out all over the floor, hanging on by a thread. I think I got all I can from him, and since Niccolo was in the line of fire, it’s his prerogative to give the final blow. I leave him to it and walk out.
Reno, Dante, and Nero are already in my office. Nero is finalizing his trip home. That man comes across calm, cool, and collected, but he even showed me some disturbing ways to inflict pain. Reno caught Dante up, and he’s now doing a global search for the mercenary we took down and validating information we extracted from our prisoner. Dante is also hacking into the security company to see how the breach occurred. When the attack was planned, they chose the area adjacent to the tree line to keep them hidden from view. I specifically had lights and monitors installed in this area for just this reason. These men knew what they were doing.
“Valentina called and asked me to lunch. I wasn’t sure if you would be okay with that.” She trails off. I think time with Valentina would be a good introduction to Josie’s role as a capo’s wife. I know the family well and have worked closely with Valentina’s father and with Julian. Julian is one of the few men I trust explicitly. I know his family would open their arms to Josie. On the other hand, I don’t want her anywhere accessible with all that’s happened.
“I’ll make arrangement at Fernando’s for two. Eros and Julian are at your side at all times.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go. I’m not sure Valentina would be comfortable chatting with two men at the table. I’ll call her back, and we can do it another time.”
“We’ll meet halfway. They’ll sit close, leaving the two of you to girl talk all you like. However, you don’t leave the restaurant without the two of them by your side.”
“I won’t make a move without them. I promise.” I can hear the smile in her voice.
I smirk, sensing her excitement, then ring off as Niccolo comes my way.
“They’re disposing of the body. I’m going to grab a shower,” he says.
“Can you make arrangements for three tables at Fernando? Josie and Valentina are going to lunch, and I want to double the guards.”
He gives me a two-finger salute and walks away, leaving me to discuss our findings with Reno, Dante, and Nero.
Dante’s so focused on the screen that he doesn’t even hear me come in. Nero is relaying information to his father, Marco. “It’s more than the Russians. There’s a leak, and we’ve already had a rat in our midst. We don’t want a repeat of what we went through before.”
Nero’s right. They’ve suffered firsthand from Marco’s sister and her husband’s betrayal. In the end, Marco ended their miserable lives, but killing a sister takes a toll. Marco holds true to La Famiglia’s motto, Famiglia per sempre. First comes loyalty to the family, and that line was crossed in the worst possible way. He had no choice but to be rid of them.
Reno’s the first to acknowledge I’ve entered the room. “You got time to debrief? I’d like to head back tonight. Dante will keep at it from home and will be calling with further information as we unveil more details.”
“Yeah, let’s see where we’re at,” I say, taking a seat at the table. Nero joins us.
“Pavel admitted that it’s not solely a Russian mission,” he says, Pavel being the man whose body is being disposed of in the incinerator off the premises.
“It’s not the first time, the Russians have used greed to get to the feebleminded of our families,” I say.
“True, but we have two major issues to work through, one being who are their informants, the other, how do we stop the communication process?” Nero says.
“Here’s where I come in,” Dante says. “Pavel was a low-level and very expendable player within the Russian clan. This was a suicide mission. He would be caught and killed; they were sure of it. The attack was for another reason.”
“How do you know that?” I ask.
“Checked his bank account, and his wife was recently added to it. A hundred-thousand-dollar payout was deposited the day before the strike. Pavel was primarily a gofer and spent most of his money on his cocaine habit. Therefore, he was set up to fail,” Dante informs us, continuing to tap on the keyboard. He whips the screen around to show us photos. “This man was his boss. He’s looking to gain favor with the big boss. A strike to Las Vegas and to Il Destino would get him noticed. Dimitri Kovackis is shrewd and stays under the radar. He waits for the rat to take the bait, then acts on the greed of others. He’s got a long history of doing this with the Sinaloa cartel and brought them to their knees. They’re now rebuilding, and he’s obviously turned his attention to Il Destino.” Dante pauses while he does another search. “The bad news is that he’s covering his tracks pretty well. The good new is that I’m a fuck of a lot smarter than him.”
I have to admit, that’s good news. “How long do you think it’ll take?”
“Can’t say for sure, but I should have something by tomorrow.”
“What about the mercenary? Why send someone from overseas?” I ask.
Reno gives me a sly grin and says, “To instigate fear.”
I raise my brows in confusion. “Fear? Me? Like that’s going to happen,” I scoff.
“Hear me out. It’s not about killing you. It’s about instilling fear into your men and their families. They didn’t want you, they wanted Josie, to get to you. They took Angela to make you look weak. Eventually, they’ll create doubt. I’m thinking this is to discredit your leadership.”
Reno’s words penetrate deep. Fuck me, he might be on to something. “That would mean that one of the underbosses is mixed up in this. They have the most to gain.”
Niccolo walks in as I’m speaking and listens attentively. He’s quiet for a moment, contemplating what he’s hearing. “Not the younger underbosses,” he says. “They’ve all been vocal with their approval about the new direction you’re taking us.”
“Look, give me until tomorrow. I may have more for you then,” Dante says. “No point in making a move yet.”
“Thank you for your assistance, gentlemen. I’m extremely grateful to you all. If there’s anything more you need before I head out to deal with the new shipment that’s supposed to arrive later today…?” I say.
“Just a drive to the airport,” Nero replies with a nod.
“You got it.” We leave at the same time. I shake Nero’s and Reno’s hands and see them off. Niccolo’s in the driver’s seat while we drive through the busy city. “Someone in Il Destino is working with the Russians. It’s unforgiveable.”
“No shit.” He sighs.
“Josie could have been killed.” Niccolo glances over, his expression as dark as mine. I clench my fist and say, “When he’s caught, he’s mine.”
Josie
Valentina is wonderful to be around. We talk for hours about everything and anything, including movies, most of which I haven’t seen. She’s emailing a list for me to peruse, and we may even do a movie night. Her passion is yoga. She explains how it centers her mind and body.
“It’s calming. It’s about breathing and movement. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a workout too, but I love it. I go not far from your place once a week, but I also do it daily at home. You should give it a go.” Valentina is upbeat and vivacious. I admire her bubbliness.
“I should start to do something to strengthen my body. If yesterday taught me anything, it’s that I need to be in better shape.” I grin.
“This morning, Dad mentioned what happened. I’m really sorry that happened to you. You’ve already had to deal with so much.”
“I’m a tough cookie,” I joke.
“Julian really likes working for Mr. Cassini, and he definitely is proud and honored to be protecting you.”
I find it hilarious that it took her half an hour to call me Josie, and after two hours, she hasn’t cracked once to call Alessio by his first name, even though I promised to double pinkie swear to never tell. “I like him too. He and Eros are great. I wish he would call me Josie, but he won’t until Alessio approves of it first.”
“It’s respectful.”
“It is. He’s very protective, and I’m thankful.” The waiter approaches with dessert, two slices of lemon ricotta cake with slivers of roasted almonds. I couldn’t eat another bite, and I’m sure we didn’t order it. I look at the waiter to tell him so.
“This is our specialty. We would be remiss not to have you try our best dessert. The owner insisted you have a taste.” He gives a curt bow and leaves us to it.
I suddenly feel someone at my back and am relieved to see Eros standing by my chair. That feeling doesn’t last very long when I see Gaetano sauntering through the restaurant and heading toward us. I freeze, and Valentina takes my hand. I take a deep breath and prepare to come face-to-face with the man my father was going to force me to marry.
“Giuseppina,” Gaetano calls. I cringe with the way he says my name, and I don’t like the look in his eye. He’s crooked and devious, and yes, I’m aware that in our world, our men are all devious, but this is different. There is honor among thieves, but this man has no honor, nor does he have a conscience.
“Mr. Lisco, you look well.” I’m proud that I sound so cool and controlled.
“As do you.” Gaetano stretches out his hand for me to shake. I’m Alessio Cassini’s wife, and I’ll act the role of a capo’s wife. I reach out to shake his hand, only to have him bring it to his lips to kiss the back of it. I try to pull away, but he’s holding on tight, and if I pull any harder, I would be attracting unwanted attention from the other patrons. A surge of ice travels through my body. I tug and manage to take my hand back.
“Your car is ready, ladies.” Julian is at my side, giving me his arm to take. I link my arm in his and grab my clutch, ready to bolt.
I lift my chin and, with as much calm as I can muster, say, “Have a good day, Mr. Lisco.” I want to run out of the restaurant, but Julian slows his pace.
“We will not let him chase you out. Slow down. You’re safe,” he whispers.
Once I’m in my car, Valentina climbs in beside me with a takeaway box. “Dessert. No reason why we can’t have coffee at your place.” She smiles. I can’t help myself; I laugh. I laugh loudly, and when Valentina joins in, both Eros and Julian turn around.
“I think they’ve lost their marbles,” Eros says, shaking his head.
“Valentina, absolutely. But it’s good to see them laugh,” Julian responds with a chuckle.