Untamed (Omertà Book 2)

by Anna Widzisz

  Francisco laughed. "The guys are taking good care of you?"

  "Yes, they are. You don’t have to worry, Cisco. I am really fine."

  "It didn’t sound like that when you called me at night, crying. I am your brother so naturally, I’m going to worry."

  "It was just a hard and stressful day. A fleeting moment of weakness. Nothing more," she reassured him.

  "I’m happy to hear that. Anyway, I am about to have a break from training. Maybe you will find the time and come to Spain? Or do you want me to come to Seattle?"

  Blood rushed to her temples. How could she tell him that neither of the options was possible? She missed her brother, but couldn’t face him and act as though nothing had happened. Besides, she couldn’t travel such long distances yet due to the strain on her back. Not to mention that Francisco wouldn’t find any of his friends in Seattle if he flew instead. And there was no way in hell that she was going to tell him the truth. One - she couldn’t, two - she didn’t want to. Many assumptions that her twin had about the underworld were real and for him to find out that his sister had gone all-in would be his worst nightmare coming true. And for her to actually be drawn to it, and be involved with the Capo dei capi? It wouldn’t go well if Francisco ever found out. However, this time Inéz couldn’t deny that he would be right.

  "I’m not sure either is a good idea. I have too much work to take time off. The same with the boys. We barely see and talk to each other nowadays. It would be a waste of time for you. I will visit as soon as I can. I promise," she said the only thing that she could think of.

  And it wasn’t such a big lie, because boys were coming over less and less, seeing as they were working with Flavio and Noah most of the days and nights. She wasn’t even sure whether they weren’t avoiding her as not to make matters for her worse. They must have figured out by now that their presence only reminded her of Noah and that it was the very thing she was trying to avoid. She needed peace and clarity away from him in order to make up her mind. They would both tell her not to get into the relationship as she would be in constant danger, but she didn’t want to hear what she already knew. Because it wasn’t the answer she needed. She just wanted to be sure that whatever happened, it was going to be worth it.

  There were three voices in her head, alternating each second. One a negative and dark demon who was constantly reminding her of all the negative aspects of it all. Its voice shook with fear, as it advised against going all-in because she would regret it, ruin her image, or even end up dead. The second voice was as optimistic and cheerful as it could get, and Inéz usually imagined it as if she was looking through rose-colored glasses. Because why not try? She would love every moment of it, regardless of what came next. It screamed at her to take a freaking chance. But the third voice bothered her the most, and she rolled with its advice day by day, just taking it easy and seeing what would happen. After all, she wasn’t going to get out of this world alive. And that was both the most thrilling and terrifying thing. She would eventually die because of this life.

  And suddenly her mind was free of all doubts and she could make a decision. She finally knew which voice to follow.

  "Cisco, I have to go. There’s something I need to take care of," she said, and without waiting for an answer she hung up.

  Not fucking getting out of this world alive.

  CHAPTER 49

  A groan escaped Noah’s lips as he put his hand under the cold water. His fists were terribly busted, angry red marks and dried blood that partially belonged to him making for a grisly sight. Another man had decided to get on his bad side. Not a good idea, nowadays even more so than before.

  He stepped into the shower, flinching as his toes touched the ceramic floor. His mind was in shreds; but instead of his sister’s dead body, Inéz’s took its place. And it was fucking hard to get the image out of his head. He turned the dial, releasing lukewarm drops on his hair, trickling down his back. His hands extended, touching the shower wall, and he leaned down his head, closing his eyes.

  Killing people was doing miracles for him, but only for as long as the torture was in progress. Otherwise, he went back to doing everything on autopilot. Whether he was actually paying attention to anything, or just pretending, it was hard to tell. And really dangerous for a Capo. His enemies, and especially the FBI were waiting with bated breath for the slightest slip-up so they could get their way and get rid of someone as powerful as Noah Falcone.

  With his back towards the door, that’s how Inéz has found him. Surprisingly, he hadn’t even heard her come in, and he was usually the person you couldn’t ever sneak up on. He always made sure to know what was going on around him. Not this time. And it scared the girl.

  She sighed and moved closer to the man, standing just behind him. She didn’t care that she was still wearing her red dress. Without thinking, she pressed her palms into Noah’s back, yet he didn’t even flinch. Had he realized before that she was there?

  "Inéz," Noah sighed, exasperation clear in his tone. "What are you doing?"

  She wasn’t sure anymore as he sounded more angry than happy that she had come. It gave the brunette the idea that he had stopped waiting for her. That she had taken too long to make a decision. She watched his backside tense. "Standing here."

  He turned around, her palms moving onto his torso. His concerned eyes ran down her body. The bruises had disappeared, however, she could see that he was still envisioning them, the memories still stuck in his head. Then he glanced back at her face.

  She watched him as the water ran over her skin like a gentle caress. Her clothes were now fully wet, yet it was the last thing on her mind. How had she fallen in love with this man? This dangerous man that had wrapped himself around her undecided heart from the very first time their eyes had met.

  Slowly, she raised her hand and cupped his cheek, leaning closer to kiss him gently. Feeling his hands glide over her soaked body, pulling her close to him and disregarding the fact that he was naked and she was clothed. The concern didn’t disappear, but desire and lust overcame it for now.

  Inches from tasting his kiss, she stopped. "I made my decision," she whispered, wanting it out in the open finally.

  Noah’s fingers slowly slid over her cheek, leaving her skin covered in goosebumps from the simplest of touches. She held her breath as his fingers tugged a lock of her hair out of her eyes and behind her ear. She looked up at the man and her pulse quickened under his intense gaze. His grey eyes were drilled into her. Unable to handle his gaze, Inéz looked down, clamping her bottom lip between her teeth in the process of reigning in an embarrassing, needy sound.

  "You made the wrong decision, cara," he answered. "You should have run the second I promised to give you all the time you need. You should have disappeared."

  "You would have found me," she pointed out, knowing it to be the truth. Men like Noah were too possessive of what they considered theirs, and Inéz had known that she was his the second he’d come knocking on her apartment door in Seattle. It was just finally registering in her mind now. Because she hated being perceived as someone’s possession. Yet, she didn’t mind that Noah kept looking at her as if she was his. She fucking was.

  "But you should have tried at least," he insisted. "You deserve better, Inéz. So much fucking better than I can give you. Because I will bring pain and death, rather than happiness. I don’t want to break you, but it’s how I have been raised. I destroy everything, and people leave."

  The man standing in front of her was anything but the Noah Falcone she knew. He wasn’t bothering with hiding his emotions and freely spoke his mind. For the very first time since they’d met. The cracks in his armor suddenly became visible, his emotions uncontrollable, his life dark and brutal. She understood now how alike they really were. Both broken and damaged, seeking release from the darkness lurking inside. Seemingly unrepairable, and full of bottled-up memories.

  "I knew when it started that it would break me. I knew that it was too much and that it woul
d eventually shatter me. And Noah, breaking was hard; recovery almost impossible. But then I realized that in order to get back to my usual self, I can’t be alone. Not without the man who showed me that I am able to achieve whatever I set my mind to. Physical pain is hard, but it’s my emotional state that I should take care of first. And I finally can."

  "You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into."

  "I do, Noah. I experienced it first hand. I don’t fucking care, because I can hide in the shadows for the rest of the life, making others believe that I am the sweet, happy girl without a care in the world; or I can stand in the spotlight next to you and show the horns that have always been there under all those layers of make-believe. Getting out and running away is not my idea of happiness. Here and now is," she whispered, tangling her fingers into his wet hair.

  Her breath became deeper as she waited for Noah to answer. But the only thing that he was ready for was to lean down, grabbing her chin and pulling it up slightly; resting his lips upon hers.

  EPILOGUE

  ”But who prays for Satan? Who has had the common humanity of praying for the one sinner that needed it most?”

  The smell was all too familiar. The repulsive odor made them take a step back, not ready for what was to come. They could only imagine the horrors that were hidden behind the dumpster of one of the Famiglia’s casinos. Not far from it Nicodemo was standing, his eyes clearly struggling to keep looking at the dead body. That was Noah’s first clue that something was terribly wrong. People like his Enforcer weren’t taken aback by corpses. He usually was their creator.

  Noah took a step forward. He turned his head to his right where Flavio had been. They had both been called to the crime scene. And even though death was part of their everyday life, none of them was usually called because of a simple murder. They had people to take care of things like that. This time was different.

  The Capo held his breath as he got closer, then he looked down. His eyes rested upon the sight of a little girl’s body. Her blond hair was scattered around in a broken halo, stained with dried blood. Her blue-green eyes were wide open expressing the shock and terror that she must have felt as she was dying. Her clothes, an orange dress with white dots and a jean jacket were discarded, lying a few feet away, drenched in blood. There were only her panties left and they were barely holding on, ripped in the middle; nothing left to the imagination as to what had exactly happened to her. Her body was slumped over, half-sitting, half-laying on the frozen floor. She was not older than eleven. And it brought shivers down Noah’s spine. He turned away as his stomach heaved. Showing strength was too hard under the pressure of such a heinous crime.

  As a mafia boss, he wouldn’t be able to order anyone to kill a child. Not to mention rape. There were standards to be upheld. Morals to be kept. And even though he was a monster, this required a special kind of sociopath to direct their anger and sick desire towards a young kid who had their whole life ahead.

  His hands clenched in fists. "Who did this?"

  Nicodemo sighed, shaking his head. "I don’t know. One of the bouncers found her like this."

  "Do we know anything about her?" asked Flavio, examining the body. He was more resilient and could look at the girl’s body. With sorrow nonetheless.

  Both brothers were thinking of Sienna.

  "Nothing."

  "Get her to the morgue. Someone is to make a thorough autopsy. We want to know everything there is about her and what happened to her," Noah seconded, and with a quick glance at the child, he backed towards the car, not able to be there any longer.

  Flavio exchanged a few sentences with the Enforcer and soon joined his brother. "We will get to the bottom of who touched the girl. No one stays alive after committing such a vicious act. Especially in our city."

  "After everything is done, I want her to be properly taken care of. When you find out where she lived, I will go to her family," the Capo said, trying to calm down.

  It was hard and he wished to be home right now. Where Inéz was waiting for him. She would be able to get his mind off the horrors of his life.

  "Of course."

  Heels clicked on the sidewalk. "I want to help with the investigation."

  Lynette was standing a few feet away, dressed in a tight red dress and black high heels. She looked as if she had just returned from a party, which wouldn’t be such a far-fetched idea seeing as it was almost four in the morning. The girl smiled.

  "What are you still doing in Las Vegas?"

  She shrugged. "Business as always," she said simply. "But I suppose I will be staying a little longer now."

  Lynette, for some reason, seemed as moved by the young girl’s death as the men were.

  Flavio snorted. "Not going to happen," he seethed. There was no chance the man would get used to her presence or feel anything other than hatred for the woman anytime soon. No matter what she’d done for them.

  However, Noah couldn’t be bothered by what had been anymore. He preferred to live in the present and work with those who knew what to do and how to do it. Lynette was one of those people. Whatever had happened to her in those four years, it had shaped her into a strong woman that could hold her own better than most men.

  His grey eyes darkened as he nodded towards the girl. He was clearly agreeing to her help. "Perhaps monsters need to look out for each other from time to time."

  INHIBITED

  Did you like Noah's story? Would you want to know more about Flavio? Keep up with my social media to for the updates on his book Inhibited.

  A snippet of the book is at the end.

  Acknowledgements

  The biggest thank you goes to Massimo who never once to my knowledge tried to kill me. When my anxiety hit while writing this book, you always were able to calm me down and help with a few important scenes.

  To my amazing editors and best friends, Zuzia and Miruna. You not only do an amazing job editing my books but also giving me advice, helping when I am stuck between different scenarios. I couldn’t do that without you.

  My parents who have complained that I rarely leave my room on numerous occasions. Those books are the reason why. I love you.

  To my brother who is always able to find time for me. Thank you for your work on the cover. It’s perfect.

  Francisco who is the first person to read my books and give me his opinion. I value them and you a lot. Thank you.

  About the author

  Anna Widzisz was born in 1998 in Poland. She studies International Business for her bachelor’s degree. From a very young age she's been writing stories, slowly honing her skills. She also loves traveling, dancing and, of course, reading.

  The dark world of the Mafia has always drawn her in and it shows in the countless hours she’s spent documenting about the inns and outs of the criminal organization - yes, she also knows The Godfather book series by heart.

  Innocent is her debut novel and her way of grabbing you by the hand and immersing you into the ruthless, twisted, but exhilarating world that the Omertà series will bring to life.

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  "Inhibited" snippet

  He went back to the basis of his knowledge. If he couldn’t figure out the solution just by looking at the facts, he needed to see the incremental changes. The killings had a pattern, but each pattern was known to have a clear beginning. So did the murderer’s plan.

  A wide number of sequences flashed in his mind, making him analyze each data. False and true. True and false. Nothing could be exactly the same. People always make mistakes and learn from them. Improve. They get better because they know what the wrong way looks like. No one can reach a satisfying level from the start. It’s just not possible. And, as a killer himself, he knew it better than anybody else.

  There was no use lying in bed and hoping that sleep would come. It never did on nights like these. With a heavy sigh he got up and shambled into his living room. Reaching fo
r a notebook, he ripped out a few pages and put his thoughts on the paper. All the names, the way the girls had been murdered, information he had on them due to the background check he'd done before. Each small detail could be vital.

  As he was perfectly well-versed in maths, he tried using what he knew of vector analysis to interpret the killings. Coming up with so many ideas all at once that it was sometimes hard to even messily scribble down everything. The letters, words and numbers all mixed together.

  If he only knew what he was looking for exactly.

  He registered muffled tiptoes echoing through the hall and straightened to his feet at once. His hand automatically moved to his side as to draw his weapon. But he didn’t have a holster with him as he wasn’t used to needing it inside his apartment. He swept through the room for something to use. Anything to help him fight off a potential assailant.

  And as his eyes settled on the kitchen and the knife lying on the island, he realized that he wasn’t alone anymore here on a regular basis.

  Anastasia.

  ”You may come in,” he murmured, relaxing a bit. His shoulders slumped.

  The movements outlined a slim silhouette in the dark part of the apartment and the girl came out of the dimly lit spot. Her long light brown hair was messy from sleep.

  She regarded him, bracing herself on the wall across from the man. Her deep blue eyes watchful, intense, but also sleepy. She was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts, baring her long lean legs to his eyes. There were still a couple of scars on them as well as on her arms, but they were finally healing and slowly fading away.

  The anger built up in Flavio, realizing once again why she had them. It always happened when he looked at her. He glanced down at his notes, trying to go back to his prior work. Nothing good ever came out of allowing his emotions to see the light of day. Ever.