King of Souls

by L A Cotton

  He wanted to bring down the Marchetti. To destroy the Capizola from the inside out. But I was still missing some vital pieces of the puzzle.

  One thing was for sure, if Mike was behind the failed hit on Arianne, and my money was on it being him, it meant he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He wasn’t afraid to murder a girl in cold blood to better his cause, which meant he was prepared to go to any lengths to get what he wanted, making him a dangerous man.

  Far more dangerous than we’d first anticipated.

  Blue Hills Reservation disappeared behind me as the Boston skyline came into view. I needed to speak to my father. We needed a plan. Arianne was safe for now, but what happened when Scott decided he was done playing nice?

  I was biding my time. Playing by the rules and upholding the code of the Family. But if he so much as touched a hair on Arianne’s head again, I wouldn’t be held responsible for my actions.

  Because an attack against Arianne, was an attack against me.

  And an attack against me, was an attack against the Family.

  I just had to make my father and his men see that.

  WHEN I ARRIVED BACK at my uncle’s house, I was greeted with the sight of Matteo’s truck and one of my father’s cars.

  Nervous anticipation skated up my spine as I parked up and went inside. Haughty laughter filled the air, the familiar cadence of my father and Uncle Alonso ringing in my ears.

  “Niccolò, so good of you to join us.” My father cast me a knowing look. “Sit, eat. Maria was good enough to prepare a feast.” He motioned to the table of food.

  Just then, the back door swung open and my cousins filed in.

  “Nicco.” Matteo came straight over, pulling me in for a guy hug. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You too.”

  “Cous.” Enzo tipped his chin, his expression as cool as his greeting. He still wasn’t over everything. And part of me didn’t blame him. But it didn’t change anything.

  I was with Arianne now.

  She was in my life, whether he liked it or not.

  “Niccolò,” Uncle Vincenzo pulled out a chair and beckoned me over. “Come, we have much to talk about.”

  “After we eat.”

  “Hell yeah,” Dane piped up, dropping into a chair and loading his plate with ridiculous amounts of food.

  “Where’s your fucking manners, kid?”

  “Can we drop the kid, already?” Dane growled at his father.

  “Do you want Nicco to put you on your ass again? Because it can be arranged. In fact, now Matteo and Enzo are here, maybe I’ll have the three of them teach you a thing or two.”

  Enzo snickered, and Dane discreetly flipped him off. He really was a cocky little fucker. I might have enjoyed sparring with him, even putting him on his ass a time or two, but given half a chance, Enzo would annihilate him.

  “I’m sure we can arrange something,” my cousin said, his brows drawn together.

  Dane swallowed his mouthful of pancake and stuttered out, “Name the time and place.”

  “Oof, the kid’s got balls, I’ll give him that.” Vincenzo roared with laughter, slamming his big hand down on the table, making the plates and dishes clink and rattle.

  “He needs to learn his fucking place.” Uncle Alonso glowered at his son, but Dane remained unaffected as he continued tucking into his breakfast.

  “This is unexpected,” I said, raising a brow toward my father. He huffed under his breath, draining his coffee.

  “We’ll talk after we eat.”

  He was pissed.

  Probably because I’d gone to Arianne before calling him. But I couldn’t turn back time and even if I could, I wouldn’t have changed anything.

  Arianne deserved to know the truth about Mike Fascini.

  She deserved to know exactly what she was tangled up in.

  “Well, would you look at this.” Aunt Maria breezed into the room looking every bit the underboss’s wife. “It’s been a long time since I had this many men in my kitchen.” She ran a hand over her husband’s shoulder, dropping a kiss on his head.

  “You’re looking good, Maria.”

  “Thanks, Toni. Now if you all don’t mind, I’m going to steal that son of mine away and make sure he actually makes it to school today. Dane.” She motioned for him.

  “But, Mamma...”

  “You should listen to your mother, kid.” Uncle Michele said.

  “This is bullshit,” Dane grumbled as he stood. “I can handle whatever is going down.”

  “That’s what they all say until a pile of shit lands at their feet.” Uncle Al scoffed. “Get out of here, kid. And stay the fuck out of trouble.”

  Maria nudged Dane out of the kitchen, and a couple of seconds later, the front door opened and then shut.

  “He’s going to send me to an early grave.”

  “He’s a good kid, Al,” my father offered. “Young and eager. He’s hungry for it.”

  “Too fucking hungry if you ask me.”

  “He just wants to do right by you, by the Family.” My father’s hard gaze snapped to mine. “It’s not a bad thing.”

  “It’s good to see you, Toni. Real good. Now what’s this all about?” My uncle sat back in his chair, glancing between me and my father.

  “Ask Niccolò.”

  “You want to do this now?” I asked him.

  “Now is as good a time as any, Son.”

  I ran a hand down my face. I hadn’t expected them to come here, let alone to have to trust them all with this. But they were my family.

  The Family.

  I was supposed to be able to trust each and every one of them with my life. But trusting them with my life, also meant trusting them with Arianne’s life.

  “Niccolò...”

  I stared at the men seated around the table. The men closest to me. My father, my cousins, and uncles. I couldn’t carry this burden alone, and yet, to share it with them...

  “Niccolò,” my father rasped. “We are waiting.”

  “We found something out, Tommy and me,” I said.

  “Well, spit it out, Nic,” Uncle Vincenzo scarfed down another pastry, wiping his hands on a napkin.

  “Mike Fascini is Elena Ricci’s grandson.”

  Silence enveloped us. Thick and heavy with the sins of our past.

  “What the fuck did you just say?” Vincenzo sat forward, his thick fingers curved around the table edge.

  “You heard him, Vin,” my father said. “He speaks the truth.”

  “Ricci? Minchia! It is not possible.”

  “Elena Ricci?” Matteo balked. “As in the very reason we’re all in this mess in the first place?”

  “I had hoped for a different outcome,” my father sighed, “but the reality is, Mike Fascini is in fact, Marchetti.”

  “Bull. Shit,” Enzo spat, standing. No one batted an eye though, it was typical Enzo. When things went to shit, he started to pace the room like a caged tiger. “That fuck isn’t one of us.”

  “Of course he’s not one of us,” Uncle Michele scoffed. “But if what Niccolò says is true, then it is far more complicated than any of us realized.”

  “It’s true, I talked with his aunt.”

  “His aunt? The fuck, Nicco?”

  I glanced at my father and he nodded. “Me and Tommy drove out to Vermont. It’s where Elena fled to after Alfredo...” I didn’t need to say the words, we all knew the story. “She had Emilio’s child, a son. Michael. When he married, he took his wife’s name to become Michael Fascini.”

  “That is some fucked up shit,” Enzo let out a low whistle.

  “You knew about this?” Uncle Vincenzo glanced at my father.

  “I had my suspicions.”

  “Fuck,” he breathed, running a hand over his stubbled jaw.

  “There’s more,” I said. “I think Mike Fascini was behind the hit on Arianne five years ago. I don’t have hard proof yet, but my gut tells me I’m right.”

  “It makes sense,” my fathe
r agreed. “Take her out and pin it on us.”

  My stomach sank while my uncles all nodded. Talking about the failed hit on Arianne was like being gutted with a jagged blade.

  “But it failed,” Uncle Al said.

  “It did.” It came out tight. “So now he’s working a different angle. Tommy thinks he’s positioning himself as a Trojan Horse.”

  “It’s smart. Move in on Capizola’s empire first and then come after us.”

  “He’s working alone?”

  I gave Uncle Michele a curt nod. “We think so. There’s no evidence of him having anyone outside his personal security and his team at Fascini and Associates.”

  Enzo loomed over us, his eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. “Let’s just take him out. He’s one man. End him and we end all this bullshit.”

  A chill rippled through the air at his words. “Lorenzo,” my father let out a weary sigh. “We can’t just take him out. He’s one of the most influential men in the county.”

  “I’m with my son, Toni. Mike Fascini is a thorn in the Family’s side. Taking him out makes sense.”

  My father clucked his tongue. “Always so quick to turn to bloodshed. We have to look at the bigger picture here. The girl is—”

  “The girl is a fucking liability.” Uncle Vincenzo gritted out. “I’m sorry, Nicco, I am, but she’s going to be our downfall if we’re not careful.”

  I shot up out of my chair. “She is not up for debate.”

  “She’s a dime a dozen, kid. Of all the pussy on Earth, you had to go fall for the fucking Capizola heir.”

  “Don’t you fucking talk about her like that,” I ground out, my fists clenched at my sides.

  “Niccolò, Vin means no disrespect, do you?”

  “Come on, Toni. He’s your capo, your son... he knew what he was doing—”

  “Basta!” My father slammed his fist down on the table. “We did not come here to argue about Arianne. Niccolò has made his choice. She is his woman now. Which means she is as good as family. Besides, she’s the only leverage we have right now.”

  “Fucking unbelievable,” I seethed under my breath.

  “Watch your mouth, Son. I might be on your side, but your uncle has a point.” His brows pinched as he released a strained breath. I knew the responsibility he bore sat heavy on his shoulders. Just as I knew it would one day be mine.

  “Roberto is well connected, as is Mike Fascini. We can’t just take him out. Not until we know his endgame.”

  “I think it’s pretty obvious what the endgame is, Toni.” Vincenzo snorted with disapproval.

  “We need more time.” My lips thinned as I ran a hand through my hair.

  “Time gives him the upper hand, Nicco. We need to strike now, while we have the element of surprise.”

  “Vincenzo,” my father hissed. “This isn’t helping. We can’t go after Fascini until we know he doesn’t have a failsafe. If we take him out, what’s to say he doesn’t have something set up to take us all down? When we finally cut off the head of his operation, I want to make sure another two don’t grow back in its place. I will not risk everything on what ifs and maybes.

  “The Marchetti have as much claim on Verona County as the Capizola. I will not bend and I will not run. But I will not rush in all guns blazing to pacify your blood lust.”

  My uncle’s mouth twisted in disgust. I hadn’t witnessed my father pull rank often, but whenever he did, it always rubbed my uncle the wrong way. Unlike Uncle Michele who sat quietly. He wasn’t a soft touch like Matteo, but he was the calm to Vincenzo’s storm.

  “So we play their games? We might as well bend over and let them fuck us in the—”

  “Vin,” Uncle Michele shook his head, gently drumming his fingers on the table. “We take Toni’s lead on this. He’s right, it’s a delicate situation and until we’re sure Mike Fascini can be dealt with without kicking up a storm, we should sit tight.”

  “And the girl?”

  “Her name is Arianne,” I barked, feeling a lick of fury trickle down my spine. My uncle was pushing me. But what he probably didn’t realize was, where Arianne was concerned, I would always push back.

  Or maybe he did.

  Maybe this was all part of his plan to demonstrate to my father that I was in over my head.

  “I need some air,” I said.

  “Niccolò...” My father let out a resigned sigh. “Go, we’ll talk later.”

  I didn’t need telling twice.

  I stormed out of there and didn’t look back.

  “I’D FORGOTTEN HOW FANCY this place was.” Matteo dropped down onto one of the luxurious gray rattan, egg-shaped chairs.

  “It’s a far cry from La Riva, that’s for sure,” I grumbled.

  “Yeah, but La Riva is home.”

  “It is.”

  “Talk to me, Nic.”

  “When I saw her last night, all I could think about was taking her far away from here, from Verona County. I wanted to do it.” My eyes lifted to his. “I wanted to do it and never look back. What kind of guy does that make me?”

  “You love her,” he said as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

  “Yeah, but I also love Alessia. You and Enzo... Bailey.” Running a hand down my face, I let out a frustrated breath.

  “I know you do. But it’s not the same. You found your person, man. The girl who makes you want more. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  My eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Matteo. He’d always been different to me and Enzo. Softer around the edges with a big heart. That’s not to say he didn’t carry out his duties, he did. He understood what it meant to be mafioso. We all did.

  “What’s going on with you?”

  “Me?” His brows knitted.

  “Yeah, something’s off with you lately.” Now that I thought about it, he’d been off since the semester started. But I’d been too distracted by a honey-eyed angel to give it much thought.

  Until now.

  “Nothing’s up.” He sat forward, leaning on his fists.

  “You can’t kid a kidder, Matt. Spill.”

  “I met someone.”

  “You met someone? What the fuck? When did you...?” I was confused. Matteo didn’t date. None of us did.

  At least, I hadn’t, pre-Arianne.

  “Remember that job we did over the summer, up in Providence?”

  “Zander’s club?”

  He nodded. Zander DiMarco ran a chain of clubs in and around Providence, Verona County, and Pawtucket. Dominion provided him with protection in return for a good chunk of change. We’d been up there over the summer to collect pizzo and the fucker had caused a scene. So much so, my father handed future collections to Uncle Michele and his guys instead.

  “I’m not sure I’m following...” I said. It had been weeks ago, and he’d not said a single word about it.

  “I stayed in Providence that night. There was a storm, remember?” I nodded, it had been a big one. “Well, I ran into this girl. One thing led to another and we...”

  “You hooked up with some girl in Providence and never mentioned it?”

  He paled. “It sounds completely stupid, but we had this connection. It was... Nic, it was amazing. But she ghosted me.”

  “No shit.” I rubbed my jaw. “You really liked her?”

  “She was... fuck, we just clicked. And the sex, I swear I died and went to Heaven. But I got the impression she wasn’t telling me the whole story and you know I wasn’t entirely truthful with her.”

  “So why are you telling me now?”

  “Because I guess I thought you’d understand. Because I look at you and Arianne and I want that. I really fucking want that.”

  “You should call her.”

  “I already told you, she blocked my number.”

  “Well then, you should drive up there and go see her.”

  “Nah, man. I can’t...”

  “Why the fuck not?”

  “It could never work. I’m here, she’s in Providence. It w
as just one night.”

  But it wasn’t. I saw it in his eyes, the slight downturn of his mouth.

  Matteo had it bad, and I’d been too self-absorbed to notice.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You don’t have anything to apologize for.” He raked a hand through his dirty blond hair. “I didn’t tell you and you’re not a mind reader. Besides, you’ve been a little preoccupied.”

  Still, it didn’t ease the guilt snaking through me.

  “Look at us.” I sank back in the chair.

  “Yeah, who’d have thought it.” He chuckled but it came out strangled. “I know the Family comes first, Nic... but family is important too. I know Uncle Vin gave you a hard time in there, but it’s only because he doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand what it’s like.”

  Did Matteo?

  Could he?

  Most of the time, I didn’t even understand what Arianne and I shared.

  “I’m not sure he’ll ever understand,” I admitted.

  Matteo gave me a sympathetic nod. “Then I guess, you’ll just have to make him.”

  Chapter 14

  Arianne

  “Tristan?” I rushed to the side of his bed, hardly able to fight the tears pooling in my eyes.

  Tristan was awake.

  “Hey, Cous,” he smiled but it didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “I’m so happy you’re awake.” Grabbing his hand, I squeezed it. “God, Tristan, I—”

  “There she is.”

  My spine stiffened at the sound of Scott’s voice. “I didn’t realize you were here,” I clipped out.

  “Don’t sweat it, baby.” He roped his arm around my shoulder with complete ownership. “We can tell Tristan the good news now you’re here.”

  My cousin frowned.

  “Go on,” Scott chuckled, “tell him.”

  I met his insistence with silence. I would never utter those words.

  “We’re engaged,” he practically sang the words.

  “Shit, Ari, for real?” Tristan grinned. “I knew he was going to pop the question, but I didn’t think—”