“Let’s just get everyone away from here. Ant can deal with the car later.” Alek looks toward the top of the street where a low rumbling sound has just gotten louder.
Much louder.
“There she is!” A woman’s voice shouts, pointing at Serena. More shouts and cameras follow her.
“Fuck!” I pull open the door. “Get in! Fast!” I hop into the passenger seat after everyone else is safely inside, and as soon as the door is closed, Ant presses his foot on the gas and the SUV flies around the corner.
“Antonio!” Gianna yells from deep in the back of the car. “Slow the hell down! I don’t have a car seat for Ava!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, would you rather I took my time and let those crazy bastards catch up to us and stampede her instead?”
I tune out their bickering and stare out the window. Gianna is singing softly to Ava in the backseat and Ava giggles, making my heart thrum. Some of the most important people in my life are in this car and that thought has the potential to freak me the fuck out. Once we get everyone to safety, then what? Who are we running from? Who is their target? Is it Serena? Is it someone else? What happens when they realize we’re involved, too? That puts us all at risk, including my baby niece. Scenarios run through my mind — what ifs, questions, dangers. Most of them chill the blood in my veins. We need a plan.
Thank God for Vince.
Vince!
I grab my phone to call him just as it pings with an incoming text from Sophia, my assistant.
What time will you be here to go through the final details for the event tomorrow night?
I let out a loud groan.
Shit. I completely forgot.
I blame my mental blip on the lack of caffeine. Evidently, an adrenaline rush resulting from impending death doesn’t do much for brain circulation.
“What is it?” Ant asks.
“I have an event tomorrow night. It’s a big one, too. Sophia just texted to find out when I’ll be there to review the details. We were supposed to meet this afternoon to go through everything.” But I know I can’t leave Serena or my family. Business will have to wait. I send back a quick text letting her know that something came up and we need to cancel for today, but my fingers cramp up on me as I stab the keyboard.
I sneak a look in the mirror, the one on the back of the visor, and catch Serena’s red, puffy-eyed gaze. But she looks away before I can read her expression. How could I leave her like this?
I don’t want to leave her under any circumstances.
And not just because of my deep-rooted need to protect her.
It’s more than that, more than I want to admit.
The feeling I had when I first met her back at the gala has only amplified over the past hour since she barreled back into my life. I’m in awe of this woman, of everything she is and everything she does. Hell, everything that she’s survived over the past couple of months. I need to make sure she gets her life back. Maybe I’m doing it to compensate for my own past mistakes and bad judgment. Maybe I feel like this time I can actually save someone, someone who has so much good in her, so much that she wants to give, that the world needs to benefit from it.
It would be criminal to let that hope…that bright light…flicker out.
Unfortunately, I don’t know who I’m battling to keep her alive.
Or why they want her dead in the first place.
My phone blares while clutched in my hand, and Vince’s name appears on the screen. I grit my teeth, accept the call, and wait for the verbal lashing to commence.
Strangely enough, it doesn’t come when I put the phone to my ear.
“Vince, something’s happened—"
“I just saw it on the news,” he seethes. “Just do me a favor and get the hell out here as fast as you can, and make sure you’re not being followed. No more fucking pit stops, do you understand?”
“Yeah, okay,” I reply, shrugging my shoulders when Ant looks over at me. “We’ll be there soon.”
My brother Vince and I are like night and day other than the way we look, which is pretty uncanny. People swear we’re twins even though there are about twelve years between us. Vince is the boss. He gives the orders, controls the family business, and doesn’t take shit from anyone.
You could say he’s got a little bit of a control problem…the problem being that he doesn’t like when things are beyond his control.
Like now.
I personally think he needs to get laid more often. It’d make him less tense.
And less of an asshat.
Me?
I’m neither an asshat, nor am I ever hard up for a mind-blowing lay.
I am, however, tired of being shot at for my entire adult life.
All because of Cristian. My younger brother of thirteen months usually wears a bullseye on his back because he’s a crazy motherfucker who doesn’t ever think before he does anything. Having his back means that I’ve had to dodge Russians, Italians, Albanians, Colombians, the French…there’s really no end to the string of assassination attempts I’ve managed to avoid.
Thank fuck I’m not only charming as hell, but also a crack shot.
I thought those days were behind me now that I’m back in Sicily.
Seems I was wrong.
I end the call and look at Ant. “He says he knows what happened. Saw it on the news.”
“The press doesn’t waste any time. Did he hear anything about Franco?”
I press my fingertips to my temples. “I don’t fucking know. I don’t know anything, for Christ’s sake! And I’d really like to get some goddamn answers! And some coffee!” I slam my hand down on the dashboard. But I’d prefer to smash something. A window. A face. I’d go for either.
I catch a whiff of a strong citrusy scent as Serena leans forward from the backseat and rests her head against mine. The sweet smell fills my lungs, and I swear for that split second, my blood stops boiling and my pulse slows.
I’m filled with a sense of calm. It may be false, and it damn sure will be fleeting. But I’ll take it for as long as I can have it.
Ironic.
The reason why I’m about to snap like an overstretched rubber band is the same one that brings me the first moment of peace I’ve experienced since waking up this morning.
It’s all her.
Her energy.
Her spirit.
Her soul.
Ant finally makes his way out of the city center and pulls onto the freeway. Everyone in the car is quiet, which, under the circumstances, is shocking.
I lean my head toward Serena’s and just breathe her in, trying like hell to figure out why her father was coming to meet with Vince, why he wanted me to be there, and if he’s really dead.
Oh fuck, please don’t let him be dead…
Ant sneaks a look at me and Serena and gives me a knowing smirk and a thumbs-up.
What an ass.
Half an hour later, he pulls off the freeway and we’re back to deserted roads. I’ve had one eye on the sideview mirror for the whole ride, just to make sure there isn’t anyone following us. I was afraid that even in the middle of mass hysteria, whoever was looking for Serena would have been able to find us.
Luckily, we escaped.
Pretty much by the skin of our teeth.
I peek in the rearview mirror at Ava and I crook my finger until she smiles. “Unca Dee!”
“I see you, baby girl,” I say with a grin. She waves at me and Serena lets out a soft chuckle.
“Yeah, this guy is a real hit with the ladies. Ladies of all ages,” Ant says with a laugh.
“So I see,” Serena murmurs. “And your niece is obviously the president of your fan club.”
“Obviously,” I say, chuckling as Ava sings one of the annoying as fuck songs we listened to in the car earlier. I join in because the kid lights up my life, and I want her to know it.
And I keep singing even though the song makes my ears bleed.
I gaze at Ava in the mirror and my thro
at tightens. This fucking life. I hate that she has to grow up in it. I hate that she’s already a target for people who think the Marcone and Severinov families need to be punished for their past sins. I hate that as much as we all try, someone can always get to her.
And it’ll happen when we least expect it.
Ant takes a sharp right turn down a quiet, peach-tree-lined road. It looks peaceful and serene as the tires crackle over the long cobblestone driveway as we inch closer to Vince’s office. He stops outside of a large wrought-iron fence and stabs a few numbers into the keypad before the gates open. There are no other cars in sight when we pull around to the back. You never park in front. Never let anyone know who’s behind closed doors or what the hell you’re doing behind them. Those are some of the unwritten rules of this life.
I check in the sideview mirror again, just to make sure we’re still alone. Ant rolls his eyes as he pulls to a stop in the back of the building. “You don’t think I was looking the whole way out here?”
“Never hurts to have more than one pair of eyes checking things out, right?”
“Would be nice if you actually gave me some credit every once in a while. But good that you were on top of things today. Christ only knows, you’ve snoozed on enough shit in the past,” Ant grumbles.
Rage bubbles in my veins at his comment and the regret that always rushes to the surface follows. But I don’t answer. I bite back the words on the tip of my tongue, the ones battling with my lips to release them. Fuck him, though. I’m not feeding into his bullshit right now. There are too many unknowns we still have to figure out, and I can’t handle his bruised ego on top of everything else.
We get out of the car, and Vince opens the heavy wooden door just as we step up to it. Everyone is quiet, except Ava. As Gianna passes me, she leaps out of her mother’s arms and dives into mine. I bury my head in her powdery-smelling neck and hug her close as I pull the door closed behind me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Gianna walk over to Serena and put an arm around her. My sister has always been good at the comforting thing. And being the only women in families like ours, they have a lot in common.
“Vince,” I begin, but Serena beats me to the punch, her eyes wide with fear.
“Somebody tried to kill me this morning,” she says in a low voice. “And then my father was attacked back at our hotel. I need to understand why, Vince. He came to Palermo to meet with you all, but he didn’t let me in on the reason. I’m not stupid. I know it has to do with the gala attack. I know the same people are after my father and me, that they didn’t finish the job that night.” Her voice cracks. “And they may have already gotten to him for all I know.” Tears spring to her eyes, and she chokes out a sob. “My father may be dead right now. I may have just lost the last of my family, and I don’t even have a clue as to why!”
I drop a kiss on Ava’s forehead and hand her to Gianna, nodding toward the kitchen. “This is gonna get heated. Take cover.”
Gianna nods and bounces Ava in her arms as she disappears through a doorway. I wrap an arm around Serena’s waist and guide her into the living room off the foyer. I sink onto a couch next to her, watching my brother struggle with whatever news he feels he can share. At this point, I’d sure as hell like to be in the know, too. Especially if I need to watch my own ass as a result of whatever he had planned with Franco.
Vince sweeps a hand through his hair and paces in front of the stone fireplace. He does that a lot now that he’s in charge. The pacing thing. I don’t know how he hasn’t worn a hole in the carpet yet, to be honest. I watch him walk back and forth, rubbing the back of his neck. Stress knots. They’re big in our family, too. Well, at least they are for the thinkers.
For Tommy and Ant? Not so much. They don’t stress about shit. They just beat it to death.
Vince lets out a deep sigh. “Your father made plans to meet with me because he needed an ally here in Sicily, a powerful ally with a pretty far reach who could help him keep his organization intact and protected from the people looking to destroy it.” He looks at Serena. “The people who don’t approve of your work and who feel that you’re a threat to their livelihoods.”
“Their livelihoods?” Serena shrieks, jumping up from the couch. “Are you serious? And what about the livelihoods of all of the young girls whom they kidnap and sell to the highest bidder? And that’s after they beat them, addict them to drugs, or turn them into prostitutes!”
Aha, so Franco Vitale is looking for a partner here in Palermo, and after all the shit his family has been on the chopping block for, it’s no wonder Vince is about to crap his khakis at the prospect of working with him. The guy owns pretty much all of southern Italy which is great for us, but his ass is on the radar of some really seedy bastards because he’s cockblocking them from their sex trafficking operations.
Bastards like Nic Fortunato who stand to lose plenty if Serena can get the support she needs.
If Vitale is going to try to hang on to his territories, he needs strong partners. Like us. Since we have control of so many of the ports along the Mediterranean coastline, it’s a no-brainer for him.
And now Vince has a choice — partner with the guy or run in the opposite direction.
Well, he might have a choice since we still don’t know if Franco is dead or alive.
And if he chooses to run, he knows as well as I do that Nic Fortunato will still be hot on our heels. My actions a year ago made my family a target.
Seems like Serena and I have that in common.
Realization crashes over me like a tsunami.
Fuck.
Fortunato.
Is he the one behind this attack?
Vince holds up a hand. “Serena, I obviously side with you and your father on this. That’s why he came to me in the first place. A couple of months ago, he thought we could help each other and grow our businesses by taking advantage of the value we each bring to the table.”
“And now?” she asks.
“Now things are different,” Vince says, staring out the large window at the front of the room. I never understood why he didn’t board it up after Papa died. I mean, Christ, all it takes is one round to terminate the head of the Marcone family because he’s too damn stubborn to move his desk to another location in this massive building. Dad worked there, so he’ll work there.
I just hope he doesn’t die there, too.
He turns to look at Serena. “The people who killed your mom…they’re not finished with your family. Your father knows that. He’s known it for a long time, and that’s what led him to me months ago. Once it was safe enough to move you, he brought you here, where he knows you can be protected by the Marcone name.” He takes a deep breath before speaking the next words, and once they’re out, I understand why. “His plan was to keep you here in Sicily until we can eliminate the threat to your life.”
“What about him? I would never have let him go back to Naples without me!” Serena asks, her face losing more and more color by the second.
“He was pretty convinced you wouldn’t have to make that choice.” Vince looks up at her. “He knew his enemies were closing in, and he didn’t think he’d make it out of Sicily alive.”
“And for all we know right now, he won’t,” Serena whispers, crying silently next to me, her hands covering her tear-streaked face. “Oh God, he really might be dead, and I can’t even get to him.” Vince catches my eye and shakes his head. What the hell is that supposed to mean? That she’s right and Franco really is dead?
“How did they even know we’re here?” she whispers through her fingers. “Somebody followed me to that café. Somebody knew to look for me! But I didn’t tell a soul that I was coming to Sicily. Everyone thought I was at our villa in Capri.”
“It must have been leaked,” I mutter. “Whoever put the hit on your father knew where he’d be. And you sneaking out of the hotel room was just the icing on the cake. They might not have expected you to be with him, but a hitman finding out he can take
out two birds with one stone? It’s like being a kid on Christmas morning.” I roll my eyes. “With guns.”
“So what happens now?” she asks, slapping her hands on her knees and standing up. “I can’t just sit around here, waiting and wondering! I need to do something! I refuse to let them have control over me like this! I’m not weak. And I’m not going to let them have this kind of power!”
“You can’t battle a ghost,” Vince says. “We don’t know for sure who we’re protecting you from yet.”
“Listen, Vince.” Serena walks up to him, stretching herself to her full height. “I’m prepared to do whatever I need to here, okay? I mean, yeah, I’m scared as hell, but there will always be someone looking to hurt me. You don’t think I know how dangerous my work is?” She runs a hand through her hair and turns away from him as she circles the office.
More pacing.
“But I believe in it. So does Papa. Or at least, he did.” She pauses, staring out the window for a split second before continuing. “I’ve been able to help so many young girls, but for as much good as I try to do, someone is always lurking in the shadows, trying to come up with a different way to carry out their disgusting business. The business of stripping away their innocence and their hope.” She balls her fists at her sides, a darkness I haven’t seen before clouding her face. “I’m not going to sit back and let them steal that hope. I will do anything to make sure they are protected so they never have to go through what I al—” She squeezes her eyes shut for an instant, her hands still clutched at her sides. I furrow my brow and catch Vince’s confused look. He gives me a shrug, clearly wondering the very same thing I am. What did she just stop herself from saying?
But Serena has already switched gears. “Let them come after me! I can’t do anyone any good if I cower, right? I can handle myself just fine. I’m not just a fashion icon with a big heart and millions of Instagram followers,” she says with a sad smile. “I’ve learned plenty from my father because we both knew this was coming. So why don’t you tell me where the bathroom is so that I can splash some water on my face and when I come out, I’ll be ready.”
Wanted: A Dark Italian Mafia Romance (Men Of Mayhem Book 1) Page 9
