by Stone, Piper
There was little emotion in her voice, merely a frank understanding of the man I’d been, the one I hoped I’d no longer be. Someday. “You’re going to need to trust me, Daniella. I heard everything you said and you’re right. You don’t deserve this kind of life. However, I can’t with any good conscience allow you leave my protection, at least not until this is over.”
“Will it ever be over, Michael? Will you ever be able to enjoy a vacation or maybe a few days to yourself?”
I took a deep breath, thinking about her question. “All I can tell you is that the time we shared in Verbier was very special to me. I would enjoy more than anything being that happy all the time, but I’m not certain it’s possible.”
“Happiness is a state of mind, Michael. Dangers will always exist. That’s the life you’ve chosen, but I hope that one day you won’t let the monsters lurking in your mind take over completely. You’re an amazing man. You forget that you allowed me to see that side of you, if only for a little while.”
I intertwined my fingers in hers and this time, she didn’t pull away. As I lifted her hand to my lips, rubbing them back and forth from one finger to another, she allowed me to see the joy we’d shared one more time. “I have to ask you a question and it’s one I’ve been hesitating to do.”
“Okay.”
“I know you saw the face of the man in the living room. He was scarred. Was he the man you saw that day at school?”
Her expression hardened. “While a portion of his face was covered in blood, I recognized him.”
“You’re certain.”
She exhaled, nodding several times. “Yes. He’s the man who attacked me.”
“Okay.”
“Why is it important?”
“It’s just another piece of the puzzle. I’m going to Florida for a couple of days.”
“Why?”
“To finish this.” I could tell she didn’t like my answer.
“You mean kill someone.”
Smiling, I squeezed her hand before letting it go. “I’ll do what is necessary. That’s all you need to know.” I slid my hand into my pocket and a wave of desire found its way to the surface. “I’m sorry about your things that were left at the chalet. Carlo grabbed what was necessary and nothing more. I’ll leave a credit card and you can purchase anything that you want to.”
“I don’t care about things. I care about life.”
As I pulled the necklace that I’d purchased in front of her, she gave me a half smile. “This is yours to do with what you want. I hope it will remind you of a beautiful evening.” She turned away, forcing me to place the piece of jewelry on the table. I understood her level of hurt and concern.
When I stood, she reached out, grasping my hand. “I meant what I said, Michael. I care very deeply for you. In fact, I’ve fallen in love with you, but I don’t think I can give you what you need.”
There was no right answer at this point in time. I couldn’t be what she needed or what she deserved. “Make certain and stay close to Carlo. There will be two other guards stationed outside.”
“What about Titus? Is he all right?”
I chuckled, hearing the concern in her voice for one of my soldiers. “The shot went clean through his shoulder. He’s fine. If you need to get ahold of me, Carlo will connect you. Like I said, I should only be gone a couple days.”
“I doubt that will be necessary. We obviously have nothing to talk about.”
Her tone was laced with the kind of coldness that I’d given her. I walked toward the door, both my mind and my heart heavy.
“Do you know what I called you after we first met?” she asked.
“I can only imagine.”
“The big bad wolf but that’s not really you, Michael.”
“Maybe that’s exactly the way you should think of me. I am a wolf.” What she truly didn’t understand was that my bite was deadly.
Now even more so.
* * *
Justine’s subsequent call had been interesting, but not nearly as useful as I had hoped. At least she’d been able to confirm Steven Zimmerman had been in the Santiago employ, a member of the group she’d infiltrated spouting off that the asshole was good as dead. I’d ordered her to get the hell out, laying low in a motel in Miami until my arrival.
“At least you’re safe, brother. We were concerned.” Cristiano’s tone was all business, but I could tell he meant what he said.
“I’m fine. It’s so good to see my welfare worried you.” I heard the discord in my voice, but I was in no mood for bantering. He’d requested I stop by before leaving, likely to try to talk me out of going. That wasn’t going to happen.
Lucian shook his head, chuckling as he walked toward me. “We do care, Michael. You’re family. Our blood.”
I thought about Daniella’s comment regarding her brother.
“Has Joseph returned?” I asked, ignoring his statement. I wanted to know every word Emmanuel had said from the Consigliere personally. There was no room for error.
“Not yet. Later today. Are you certain you don’t want to wait for his arrival before leaving?” Cristiano asked, eyeing me carefully.
“You and I both know that the longer this goes on, the more likely it is that another team will manage to find a way to eliminate either Daniella or myself. I’m not going to allow that to happen.”
“The plan was well organized,” Cristiano huffed.
“You need to get rid of Daniella.”
I snapped my head in Lucian’s direction. “If you ever say something like that to me again, you will regret it, brother.”
“Jesus. It’s the same advice you’d give me. She means nothing to you.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Lucian. Michael is in love with her. Isn’t that the truth?” Cristiano wasn’t happy about my feelings. Sighing, he walked toward the French doors, surveying his kingdom. He’d suspected as much given my hectic phone call after the attack at the chalet. “We’ve worked too hard to cultivate Key West and Miami. You’ve managed to run a popular club and handle the work in Florida as well as taking over a lion’s share of my workload when I was in prison. I think it’s time you have some additional help.”
“The only help I need is hunting down the person responsible and at this point, I think it’s in our best interest to exterminate Emmanuel.”
“Nature is doing that for us,” Lucian barked.
“Not quickly enough. Every day that goes by means another day he can give instructions,” I countered.
“To whom, brother?” Cristiano turned in my direction. “You said so yourself, it would appear you managed to eliminate the Ghost. Did you ask Miss Zimmerman to confirm?”
I nodded. “She assures me it’s the same man.”
“During a time when she was horrified at finding out what you’re made of, fearful of her life. That doesn’t make for a good witness.” Lucian seemed pleased with himself.
I closed the distance, shaking my fist in his face. “You weren’t there. I suggest you keep your mouth shut or I’ll have no issue shutting it for you.”
“Enough! Both of you. We’re in a crisis in case you haven’t noticed. We must work together. Lucian is correct. We can’t go on her word that the Underboss was taken out. You need to make a decision between family and a woman who is your obvious weakness.”
“She is now a part of my family, Cristiano. You’re not going to bully me.”
“I may be your brother, Michael, but I am first and foremost the leader of this family. Do you understand?”
I’d never seen my brother with so much conflict in his eyes. We’d been so close, but prison and power had changed him. I took another deep breath, holding it for a few seconds. “I care about Daniella. She isn’t to blame for her brother or the situation. I’m not convinced that this is about her, even if her brother stole from the Santiagos.”
“Even though your intel suggests otherwise.” Lucian was thankfully calmer, or I was prepared to provide a lesson in c
rossing me.
“Going to Florida and finding Steven Zimmerman is the surest way of getting to the bottom of who is behind this and the next steps. One of my associates provided information that led me to believe we have a leak in our organization. Carlo further convinced me that I’m right.”
“Any idea who?” Lucian asked.
“Yes, the club manager at Club Cabana. I will handle his indiscretions myself. In addition, the associate believes the Santiago Cartel is planning something big, as she called it.”
“The shipment,” Cristiano whispered.
“Likely. Enough party favors to secure a firm hold in Florida.”
“While my theory has more to do with the Santiagos destroying our hold, the next step is to secure the shipment coming in. Without it, our weakness will be taken advantage of,” Lucian stated as he turned his gaze toward Cristiano.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I demanded, my rage continuing to increase. I’d always known when he’d been hiding something from me.
Cristiano took his time before answering. “As you well know, the Morales Cartel has been searching for a home inside of America. It’s my belief they no longer find New Orleans viable. With Diego Santiago dead and Emmanuel on his deathbed, certain intel indicate that Carlos Morales is intent on overtaking not only the Santiago turf but ours as well. They have the manpower to do it. This just isn’t about blood raining in the streets of Miami or the demise of our club. Lucian is correct. It’s about losing control, an unraveling of our organization. I cannot and will not allow that to happen.”
There would always be enemies who were intent on taking over a lucrative territory, dozens of cartels and other mafia syndicates with the desire. However, the majority of syndicates had an unspoken rule of no subterfuge, much like we did with the Azzurri family who shared some of our turf within New Orleans.
Cartels were nothing more than animals who would eat their young in order to gain additional power, the Morales family considered the most powerful in South America as well as the most dangerous.
“That could mean that the Santiagos made a lucrative deal with Carlos Morales given they had no other choice.”
“One that would have been made when Diego was alive?” I found that hard to believe knowing Diego.
“It’s entirely possible, Michael. While the Santiagos tried for years to infiltrate our operation, they only managed to get close to destroying a single shipment and that was recently. They are a ragtag, brutal group, but their tactics have never had finesse. Given the depth of organization as well as highly trained manpower that would have been required to pull off the raid, it’s my belief that the Morales Cartel was actually behind the sabotage.”
The theory was interesting, one I had to give a certain amount of credence to.
“What do you suggest?” I asked.
He took a deep breath. “You are going to return to Florida. Perhaps a personal visit to Emmanuel will provide the answers you seek. If Steven Zimmerman is being used as a pawn, a lure of some kind, then I know you well enough to realize that you are the single man who can persuade Emmanuel to talk. That is if he remains alive long enough. I’ve already sent a team of soldiers to Miami in preparation for the arrival of the shipment. They will augment your men in providing protection as well as firepower.”
“That makes sense.” I could tell he wasn’t finished. “And?”
“You must consider the possibility that Steven Zimmerman managed to lure his sister into helping given her ability to get close to you. It’s a possibility, Michael. Don’t turn a blind eye to that or it could mean your life. Do you really want to risk your family for someone you’ve just met?”
“Daniella is off limits. Period. Do you understand me? She has no love for her brother after what he did to her.”
He closed the distance once again. “You’d risk your family and the business in order to have her in your life?”
“Without any hesitation.”
“You’re certain even though you barely know her?” Lucian asked, more respectfully than I would have imagined.
“I know enough. She makes me happy. She’s taken the demons away. She is not responsible for what had occurred on any level, although I’m no fool. The coincidence of her brother working with the Santiagos remains a serious concern.”
The second look shared between my brothers was one out of curiosity rather than anger.
Cristiano kept his stare for several seconds before nodding out of respect. “That’s good to hear and I hope you’re right. If she is the innocent victim that you claim her to be, I will ensure her safety while you are gone. But, and you need to hear me, brother, if you are wrong, you will not be able to stop the necessity of taking care of the situation.”
“Understood.” Although he would need to go through me in order to lay a hand on her. I refused to believe that Daniella was anything but a victim. She was far too important to me to let her go.
Including the business.
“You aren’t going alone,” Cristiano stated.
“You already have soldiers there. Assign five of them if you wish to follow me. Hell, ten. I don’t care. I just need to get to the bottom of this.”
This time, Cristiano grinned. “I don’t think you’ll mind my choice. In fact, I think you’ll enjoy the company.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“You can come in now.” Cristiano had lifted his voice.
I wasn’t just surprised. I was shocked. “What the fuck? Dante. You’re home. I thought you’d reenlisted.”
Dante grinned as he walked into the room, his short-cropped hair a clear indication of his recent military status. Our youngest brother had refused to be a part of our world, choosing the good of mankind over criminal activities. His almost six years in the military had changed him from a gangly boy to a brawny man, one I had almost had difficulty recognizing.
I walked closer, almost jogging in order to pull him into my arms. There had been many skirmishes in which we’d believed he’d died fighting for his country. His bravery as well as his commitment had been amazing to watch. “I’m so glad you’re safe. Jesus Christ.”
“Hey, big brother. I’m not fragile, for God’s sake,” Dante said, laughing then pushing me away. He still had the boyish grin, the dimples and twinkle in his eyes that would always allow him to appear younger.
“No, I can tell you aren’t. What the hell? You grew like two inches and fifty pounds.”
“Try four inches and seventy-five pounds of lean, meaning fighting machine muscles.” Dante flexed proudly, giving me the same mischievous expression that I remembered from the past.
“When did you get back?” I asked, already curious as to why Cristiano would put him in a highly volatile situation or why Dante would go along with it. He’d wanted to save the world, not destroy it. Every communication indicated he’d never come into the family fold under any circumstances.
“A couple days ago. I had an opportunity and I took it. I figured it was about time to get back and straighten you fuckers out.” Dante laughed. We all did. But there was still an awkwardness in the room.
“Dante is going with you, Michael,” Cristiano stated with no inflection.
I took a few steps away, rubbing my jaw. I didn’t like shoving my little brother into the shit storm from the get-go. While I trusted him implicitly, he’d become a Marine for an entirely different reason. “I need to ask you, Dante. Why the change of heart?”
“It’s not necessarily about a change of heart, Michael. I’ve matured. The things I was forced to endure and witness overseas made our worst day seem like paradise. Men were tortured for nothing more than their belief in our country, women and children murdered in the streets right in front of my eyes and I couldn’t save them. That changes a man forever. While I don’t agree with everything that goes on within this family, I was also forced to realize that blood is thicker than water. If we stand together, we will succeed. Apart, we flounder. I won’t
allow that to happen because of my wayward belief that finding humanity and peace in all people is possible. That’s just not the case.”
I took my time absorbing what he’d said. “How did you get so smart?”
He laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe because it was beaten into me.” There wasn’t a King family member who didn’t have a story to tell, one of horror and sadness. My once innocent younger brother was no different.
Now he was a man. A fighter. Prepared.
And most of all, he was family.
“I thought I could learn the ropes from the second smartest brother in the family,” Dante added, giving the other two a look. “Myself being the first of course.”
“The same old Dante,” Lucian said, laughing.
“He’s been brought up to speed, Michael,” Cristiano continued. “He’ll be a significant asset to you. Plus, if you do have success in seeing Emmanuel and his soldiers, seeing the family force could prove to be helpful.”
I thought about what he was telling me. “Agreed. But we need to leave immediately.”
“Always in a rush,” Dante said with amusement. “Nothing has changed, except that my brother is happily involved with a beautiful woman.”
Cristiano huffed. “And don’t you forget she belongs to me. The jet is standing by.”
“Has Joseph left Miami yet?” I asked.
“No.”
“Have him remain. I’d like to talk to him man to man.”
Cristiano gave me another questioning look. “Good idea. Keep in contact. If Morales and what remains of the Santiago clan are going to make a move, it will be within the next two days.”
Two days.
Two days in order to protect our assets, our people, and make a statement that would send the Morales Cartel back to the jungles and finally end the war with the Santiagos.
