Villain of Secrets

by L A Cotton

  I couldn’t.

  If I looked at her, I’d remember, and if I remembered… well, it wouldn’t end well for anyone.

  My fist clenched against my thigh as I stood up. “I’ll wait outside,” I grumbled. Nicco was tongue deep in Arianne, and Nora was right there…

  I tried to tell myself I didn’t care. That the fact she’d found me in bed, hungover with some blonde draped over me like a cheap rug, didn’t matter. We weren’t anything to one another. I’d made no promises to her. It was just sex. Mind-blowing, hot as sin sex.

  That’s all it was.

  Nora didn’t say a word as I stalked out of the apartment and down the hall. I didn’t stop until I crashed through the door and pulled out my smokes. It was a nasty habit, but it calmed me a little.

  Two minutes later, Nicco found me. “You need to quit that shit,” he grumbled.

  I inhaled one last hit and dropped the butt, dragging it into the asphalt with my boot. “My car is down the street.” He followed me, climbing into my Pontiac GTO without another word.

  He was quiet.

  Too fucking quiet.

  And I knew he was gearing up to rail at me. Sliding into the driver’s seat, I ran a hand through my hair.

  “Are we going to talk about what happened?”

  “Nope.” I jammed the key in the ignition.

  I wasn’t entirely sure which part he wanted to talk about, but either way, it had been weeks. If I’d have wanted to talk, it would have happened by now.

  I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to forget.

  “Enzo,” Nicco sighed. My eyes slid to his. “Maybe if you just talked to her—”

  “Not going to happen, cous. It is what it is. I would have only disappointed her in the end.” Because I wasn’t wired right. Because somewhere along the line, I’d got skipped when they were handing out all those happy fucking emotions.

  Because deep down, I knew a woman would only bring me drama and distractions I didn’t want or need.

  “You had your reasons,” he said.

  “Nic, she found me in bed with some blonde, there’s no coming back from that.” I didn’t even remember what happened that night. But I remembered Nora’s face as she stood in the doorway.

  My chest squeezed, but I ignored it. It was better this way.

  She was too good for this world.

  Too fucking good.

  Nora believed everyone could be saved, that everyone wanted to be saved.

  But I wasn’t looking for redemption…

  Because my soul already belonged to hell.

  “Nicco, figlio mio.” Uncle Toni grabbed my cousin and pulled him into a hug. Then he moved to me, gripping my shoulders and searching my face. “Lorenzo.”

  “What’s up, Uncle Toni?”

  “You haven’t been around lately.”

  “I’ve been busy.”

  “Busy making a mess of our informants?”

  Fuck.

  “The stronzo deserved it.”

  “He did, but it wasn’t your call to make, son.”

  I winced at the word.

  I was nobody’s son now.

  I was twenty and my parents were dead. Both killed by me.

  Exhaling a long, steady breath, I followed Nicco and his father into Uncle Toni’s den. Matteo and his father, Uncle Michele, were already seated at the table.

  This wasn’t a casual meeting, it was business, and a trickle of anticipation ran through me. I needed something to do. Collecting pizzo, running jobs down in Providence, picking up the dirty work no one else wanted. I needed to keep busy.

  “Lorenzo,” Uncle Michele tapped the seat beside him, and I went to it. “Sit.” He pulled it out, the legs scraping across the hardwood floor.

  “What’s up, old man?”

  “How have you been? Your Aunt Marcella worries.”

  “I’m good,” I said around a tight smile.

  “We’re here, Enzo.” He squeezed my shoulder. “You’re not alone.”

  “I know.” Swallowing over the huge fucking lump in my throat, I ran a hand over my face.

  “Niccolò,” Uncle Toni said. “How was New York? How’s that daughter-in-law of mine?”

  “Ari is fine. We had a good time.”

  “A good time,” Uncle Michele chuckled. “You think we don’t remember being newlyweds, kid? Me and your aunt went at it like—”

  “Fuck’s sake!” Matteo grumbled. “No one wants to hear about you and Mom, old man.”

  “It’s about time you found yourself a good woman, Son. Your mother wants some grandbabies to fuss over.”

  Matteo almost choked on nothing. “B-babies? Jesus, Dad, I’m twenty.”

  “And we’re not getting any younger, Matteo.”

  “Can you believe this shit?” he whispered to Nicco, who chuckled.

  “I’m telling you now, Niccolò, don’t be coming around to tell me Arianne is knocked up anytime soon. After everything that’s happened the last few months, the last thing we need is a baby to contend with.”

  The mood in the room instantly sobered. Guilt washed over Uncle Toni, and Matteo sank further into his chair.

  “Jesus,” Nicco breathed, shooting me a wary glance.

  “Enzo, I’m sorry, that was—”

  “Relax, Uncle T, I’m fine. Shit happens, and he got what was coming to him. I’m only sorry I didn’t figure it out sooner.”

  “No, son. Don’t ever think that. What happened, it wasn’t your fault, none of it.”

  All I could manage was a small nod.

  “Anyway, I didn’t call you all here to shoot the shit. We’ve got to figure out how to deal with our little problem in Providence.” He steepled his fingers, exhaling a long breath.

  “What happened with the rat?” Nicco asked. “Did he talk?”

  “Ask E,” Matteo said, and I pinned him with a hard look.

  “Enzo?” Nicco demanded my attention.

  “I may have gotten a little carried away when we were squeezing him for intel.”

  “How bad?” His jaw flexed.

  “Broken jaw, smashed eye-socket, three broken ribs, and a couple of missing teeth,” Matteo said grimly.

  “Fuck, E.”

  “He’s a rat.”

  “That we needed.”

  “Fuck that.” I kicked my boot against the leg of the table.

  “Basta!” Uncle Toni slammed his hand down on the table. “I’m changing things up a little. You serious about not going back to MU?”

  “As a heart attack,” I said.

  “You’re going to run with Gino and his crew.”

  “Gino?” Nicco barked. “But Enzo is on my crew.”

  “You need to focus on things here. On Arianne and your sister. I need you close, Niccolò.”

  “What does that have to do with moving Enzo to Gino’s crew?”

  “We’re a few men short. Your Uncle Alonso called from Boston. He’s dealing with the Diablos and needs some extra hands. I’m sending a few guys. It leaves us short. Things in VC are fairly stable right now. Roberto is playing nice. The shit with Mike Fascini is dead and buried. We can spare a man or two.”

  “I’m in,” I said without hesitation. Gino’s crew get their hands dirty. They didn’t think first and act later, they handled shit when it needed to be handled.

  “Enzo, cous, come on.” Nicco’s expression wavered. “It’s always been the three of us.”

  “Things change.” The second the words were out of my mouth, I regretted them. I didn’t want to alienate him. He was my cousin, my best friend, but I needed some space.

  I needed to deal with this in my own way, in my own fucking time. I didn’t need to be constantly around their concerned pity-filled stares.

  “I need this,” I grated out, hoping he would drop it.

  To my relief, he did.

  “You report to Gino now, okay?” Uncle Toni added. “As soon as he gets back from Providence, you’re with him.”

  I nodded at Uncle Toni,
feeling a lick of anticipation zip up my spine.

  Gino Lupo and his crew were what the Family called enforcers, and I was all too willing to get my hands dirty.

  “Good, it’s done. You listen to G, follow his guidance, and you come back to us when you’ve worked through this shit, okay?”

  “You got it, Boss.”

  “You’ll be at Bella’s birthday party though, right?” Matteo asked. “She’ll kick your ass if you don’t show.”

  “Like she could take me.” Matteo’s sister Arabella was a petite little thing with big blue eyes and a meek personality. “I’ll be there.” She was family. This wasn’t about turning my back on them; it was about dealing with some of the crap running through my head.

  The deceit.

  The lies.

  The betrayal.

  Vincenzo Marchetti had been many things: cold, cruel, angry. But he’d always been nothing if not loyal. He’d lived, breathed, and bled for the Family, for Dominion.

  Or at least, I’d thought he had.

  Fuck.

  It was like my head couldn’t reconcile what my black dead heart already knew.

  The restless energy inside me ignited into a firestorm. I needed a smoke. Some pot or a strong fucking drink. I felt like an addict tweaking for their next hit. I needed something—anything—to take the edge off.

  “Breathe, son,” Uncle Michele said in a hushed voice.

  Nicco and his father were arguing about me. Nicco didn’t want to let go; he didn’t want me to get involved with the likes of Gino and his guys.

  “Nic,” I barked, my throat dry. “It’s okay.”

  His head snapped up and his narrowed eyes found mine. “I don’t like it, E. I don’t like it one fucking bit.”

  “I know.”

  But it didn’t matter because I needed this.

  I needed it whether he liked it or not.

  The next day I was waiting outside the Verona County Transitions Initiative, a local community center in Romany Square. Nicco had asked me to swing by and pick-up Arianne after she got finished volunteering. I’d wanted to tell him no, I wasn’t a fucking babysitting service. But he was my best friend, and after Uncle Toni had dropped the bombshell that I was going to run with Gino and his guys, I figured it was the least I could do.

  But when Nora appeared in the doorway, I knew I’d made a huge fucking mistake.

  “Enzo?” Her eyes grew to saucers.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  Hurt flashed in her eyes, but I really hadn’t been expecting to find her here too.

  “I decided to come help out,” she said, pulling her chunky knit cardi closer together. “What are you doing here?”

  “Nicco asked me to give Ari a ride home.”

  “Oh.”

  The air grew thick around us, energy crackling between us.

  “That’s nice of you.”

  I snorted. “Yeah, real nice.”

  “I know things are… strained between us,” she lifted her chin a little, “but you don’t have to be such an asshole about it.” Her hand went to her mouth. “I’m sorry,” sympathy glittered in her eyes, “that was uncalled for. I know you’ve been through a lot.”

  She might as well have slapped me upside the head.

  Before I knew it, I’d closed the space between us. Nora jerked back, pressing herself against the wall. “Enzo, what are—”

  “Hey, oh,” Arianne appeared, and I immediately stepped back.

  “Nicco couldn’t make it and I didn’t know…” My eyes flicked to Nora and her breath caught.

  “Can you give Nora a ride too?”

  “Doesn’t look like I have a choice, does it?” I grumbled, taking off toward my car.

  “I can call Luis,” I heard Ari whisper. “We don’t have to—”

  “It’s fine,” Nora said.

  Because that was Nora. Stubborn to a fault. Well, she was barking up the wrong fucking tree if she thought there was anything left to salvage between us. Because that shit was done.

  The girls climbed into my car, Nora taking the back seat, thank fuck. I quickly realized though it wasn’t anything but sweet torture, because every time I looked up, her face was right there. Taunting me. Reminding me of everything I could never have.

  Things I didn’t even want.

  The air had been thick between us outside the VCTI, but it was toxic now.

  No one spoke the short distance to Arianne and Nicco’s apartment building. It was awkward as fuck, and I was counting the hours until I could get the fuck out of Verona.

  When we finally rolled up outside of the building, Arianne turned to me and said, “Thank you. I’ll see you at Arabella’s party on the weekend?”

  I nodded.

  She glanced back at Nora, I’ll call you later, okay?”

  “Actually,” Nora’s eyes flicked to mine. “I think I’ll wait for Luis, after all.”

  “Of course.” Arianne climbed out and lifted the seat for her friend.

  “I said I’d give you a ride,” I gritted out, irritation vibrating inside me.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?” Her brow went up and before I could answer, she slipped out and slammed the door.

  And I watched them walk away wondering why I didn’t feel as relieved as fuck.

  Chapter 4

  Nora

  “Are you sure I look okay?” I fluffed my hair for the third time. My wild curls hung around my face, and my eyes were smoky and seductive. I’d even broken out my blood-red lipstick.

  “Don’t you think you’re trying a little too hard?” Arianne eyed me through the mirror, and I frowned.

  “I’m not trying to do anything other than look good.”

  “For Enzo,” she quipped.

  “No, not for Enzo. For myself.” It was Arabella Bellatoni’s sweet sixteen party, and it was set to be a big affair. The entire Marchetti family would be there. I wanted to look good. No, I wanted to look like a knockout. It had absolutely nothing to do with the brooding, arrogant guy that was avoiding me at every turn.

  My stomach fluttered at the very thought of Enzo. He’d been such a jerk the other day and part of me hated him, hated the way he’d just written us off before we ever really got started… but the other part, the other part still wanted him, mistakes and all.

  But I couldn’t tell Ari that. She wouldn’t understand. Nicco wasn’t like his cousin. Nicco was loyal and protective and super possessive. Nicco loved with everything that he was. Fiercely. Deeply. Truly.

  Something told me a guy like Enzo didn’t know how to love.

  The thought made my heart ache.

  Everyone deserved a chance, a shot at something good. Something pure. Even the darkest of souls.

  “Just promise me you’ll be careful,” Ari said. “After what happened with his father… Enzo is in a bad place. Nicco said—” She stopped herself.

  Enzo’s father had been killed in a collision right before the holidays. It came as a huge shock to everyone, and I couldn’t even begin to imagine how he must be feeling. But he wouldn’t even let me get close enough to ask.

  “Mafia stuff?” I asked.

  “Yeah, sorry.” Guilt flashed in her eyes. “He couldn’t tell me most of it, but Enzo isn’t going to be around much.”

  “He isn’t?” That got my attention.

  “Nicco is worried, so whatever it is, must be bad.”

  “Enzo’s a big boy, I’m sure he can handle himself.” Except, I didn’t really want to think about what handling himself meant. The illusion of a dark brooding bad boy was a hot fantasy, but the last few months had proved that reality and fantasy didn’t always match up.

  “Mrs. Marchetti, Miss Abato,” Luis, Ari’s personal bodyguard, appeared. “The car is ready.”

  “Thank you, Luis. But please, stop calling me that.”

  “But it’s your name, Mrs. Marchetti.” I teased.

  “It still doesn’t feel real.”

  “W
ell, it is, babe. Enjoy it. It’s not every day an eighteen-year-old girl meets her soul mate, marries him, and moves in together within… four months.”

  “God, when you say it like that it sounds really bad.” Her cheeks pinked, and I fought a smile.

  “Ari, who cares what it sounds like? You got your prince, babe. Your very own Prince of Hearts. Own that shit. Hell, I would.”

  “You know you’ll find your prince one day, right?”

  “I know.” It wasn’t like I wanted to settle down right now or anything. I was barely nineteen. I had three-and-a-half years of college left and a whole life to live. But I wanted what Ari and Nicco had. I wanted that special connection with someone, that bond.

  “All set?” she asked, steering the subject to safer shores.

  “As I’ll ever be.” I laced my arm through hers and we followed Luis out of the apartment.

  “This will be fun,” Ari whispered.

  I didn’t doubt it, but I also knew Enzo would be there… and that would be the sweetest kind of torture.

  Antonio Marchetti had hired The Diamond, a high-end bar in Romany Square, for his niece’s birthday party. I didn’t know what I’d expected, but the pink and black balloons and streamers made it feel every bit a sweet sixteenth. Kids danced on the dance floor, weaving shapes with their arms, singing along to the latest hits while the adults watched on, chatting and drinking.

  “Oh my God, look.” I grabbed Ari’s arm. “He’s wearing a Fedora and suspenders.”

  “Nor!”

  “What? I’m excited. It isn’t everyday a girl gets to attend a mafia—”

  She pressed a hand to my mouth. “Just breathe, please.” Her eyes pleaded with me and I nodded.

  “Sorry, I’m just… wow, okay. I’m chill.”

  She chuckled, but before she could answer, Nicco intercepted us.

  “Bambolina,” he breathed, letting his eyes drift slowly down her body. God, the way he looked at Arianne. Hungry. Possessive. As if she was the most beautiful woman on Earth.

  She did look stunning though, in a sixties-style black dress with a layered skirt. I’d opted for something fitted and tight, a second skin of glitter and lace.

  I felt sexy as hell, but no matter how good I felt, watching Nicco watch my best friend made me feel like I was wearing a burlap sack.