The Cardinal (The Holy Trinity Duet Book 2)

by M. E. Clayton

  Sal didn’t say anything for a long, excruciating moment. When he finally did feel inclined to say something, he grabbed my arm and yanked me hard enough that I collided with his muscled chest.

  Those fiery green eyes locked mine in place. “Let’s get one thing straight here, Blake,” he growled through clenched teeth. “You’re mine. You were mine the second I put a bullet in Hector’s head.” His other hand came up to imprison my other arm. “Because you assumed your sister’s debt, that makes it your debt, which, now, makes it my debt.”

  I started shaking my head. “Sal, I-”

  He shook me. “I will pay off your bank loan and deal with the rest.” He let go of me and took a step back. “I’ll also deal with Paolo.”

  My eyes widened. “But he didn’t do anything wrong,” I argued. “He was actually quite fair, considering-”

  “Nothing wrong?” he spat. “You consider taking advantage of someone who isn’t even in the wrong the right thing to do?” He didn’t let me answer. “He should have dealt with your sister, not you. He also shouldn’t be employing drug addicts at my club, Blake.”

  “She just needs some help-”

  He threw his hand up again. “Spare me the bleeding heart excuses, Blake, because I don’t care about your sister right now. I care about you. And if you think you’re going back to The Eagle tonight, you’re very mistaken.”

  “But I-”

  Salvatore stepped to me, grabbed my chin in a punishing grip, and said, “I will be back this evening, and so help me God, your ass better be here to open the door, Blake. Understand?”

  All I could do was nod. “O…okay.”

  With that, he delivered a brutal kiss, reminding me of who he was, before he stormed out of my small apartment leaving me to wonder what the hell was going on.

  Chapter 13

  Salvatore~

  Luca’s building had an armory floor that housed more weapons than a military base. Luca had some inventory he needed to sort through, so he had chosen the armory as the place to meet for our meeting this morning. Or, afternoon, since I’d been so caught up at Blake’s.

  “So, what happened with Alonso?” he asked as soon as I entered the room.

  “He presented his offer, and when he said it was only two points, I asked him what he did to piss you off.”

  Luca huffed. “To which he said?”

  “He admitted to their interest in the flesh trade.” Luca just nodded once. “When I told him that he was lucky you hadn’t cut all ties with him, he graciously accepted defeat.”

  “So, how did Marcelo come to be in the picture?” he asked as he opened a military box and started sorting through its contents. While Nico Rossi was always my first choice, Marcelo was up there with him.

  “There was a waitress in the VIP who had caught Hector’s eye,” I told him. “When it was clear she wasn’t interested, I told him she was off limits.”

  Luca stopped what he was doing and focused those obsidian eyes my way. “And?”

  “And he didn’t believe me.” Luca straightened taller. “She was collecting some empty glasses, and when she knelt down to grab another glass, Hector had slid his hand between her legs.”

  “Is that so?” he asked in a deceptively mild tone.

  “I shot his hand, but then he started screaming that she was just a cheap waitress, among other things, so I shot him dead.”

  “And what did Alonso have to say to that?”

  “Nothing,” I replied. “He agreed that Hector was out of line. When Micha suggested it was time for them to leave, I second that notion and had Raymond escort them off the premises. Then I had Carlo call Marcelo in for the cleanup.”

  “And the waitress?”

  “We ended up in my office,” I told him truthfully. “Then I spent the night at her place.”

  I watched Luca dissect everything I’d just told him. I was positive that he was rewriting life as we knew it in his head right now. Luca was all business, and I knew he was already thinking of what our next move should be if we cut all ties with Alonso. That’s how the man worked. His brain was like a computer, always analyzing all the data that came his way.

  Finally, he said, “Tell me about the waitress.”

  Not going into the sexual details of the night, I told Luca everything she had told me of how she came to be at The Eagle. Oh, he knew I slept with Blake by my earlier announcement that I had spent the night at her place, so he wasn’t concerned with that. He was concerned with how she fit into the picture. He wanted to know how she fit with me.

  Eyeing me, he asked, “Does she matter? Or…”

  I nodded. “I haven’t ironed out the details yet, but she matters.”

  “I trust I don’t have to give you the same speech as I had to give Leo?” When Leo had told us that he was in love with Sienna, Luca had gone on a threatening rant. There could be no mistakes when it came to the women in our lives. Especially, Luca’s, Leo’s, or mine. We were blood Benettis after all. We had to be more careful than most about the partners we chose.

  “If she betrays me, I’ll kill her myself,” I told him honestly. “But she won’t.”

  He nodded. “And Paolo?”

  “I’ll take care of Paolo,” I promised, the bite in my voice coming through.

  “And the sister?”

  “I’ll be shipping her off to rehab, whether she wants to go or not,” I told him. “I’m running a full background on Blake’s family when I get home.”

  “It needs to be as thorough as Sienna’s was,” he said pointedly.

  “Christ, Luca, I know,” I grumbled.

  Luca grinned, a rarity for him unless he was around Remy or Frankie. “I just don’t need any Benetti wives killed on my watch, Sal,” he replied. “It’ll upset my wife.”

  “Your wife’s too good for you,” I countered.

  This time, Luca smiled. “That she is,” he agreed. “Luckily, she loves me enough to think she can’t do better.”

  I snorted. “Or she knows you’ll kill her before you ever let her leave you.”

  “There is that,” he agreed easily because it was the truth. I had no doubt my brother would kill his wife if she ever dared try to leave him.

  “So, are we done here?”

  “We are,” he replied. “However, call Leo, let him know what happened, then have him send over the numbers.”

  “Sure thing,” I said before turning and walking out the door.

  Once I made it to the ground floor of Kratos, I walked over to where Carlo had us parked and pulled out my phone as I got into the car.

  Leo answered on the third ring. “Yeah?”

  “Luca needs you to pull all the inventory and numbers for Alonso,” I said in lieu of a greeting.

  Leo chuckled softly. “Trouble in paradise?”

  I gave him a quick rundown of what happened last night, and by the time I was done, we were already pulling into my building. “Pretty sure he’s going to cut ties, no matter what you send him. But you know Luca, always the professional.”

  “Well, we can’t cut ties with them without Ciro and Phoenix in on this. It’ll take all of us to purge their records,” Leo replied. “Laney Stucchi is a weak link, but I’m not sure he knows enough to get everything we need on the outfit.”

  “Luca was pissed when I told him what happened,” I told him. “I think he’s going to want to wipe them all out. Especially, after that whole flesh trade thing.”

  “Well, as small as they are, it won’t take much,” Leo remarked.

  “True,” I agreed. “Just make sure to get Luca everything he needs as soon as possible.”

  “What are you going to do about Paolo?”

  “Well, first I’m going to acknowledge that you were right about him, little brother.”

  Leo laughed. “I wasn’t looking for a blue-ribbon win, Sal.”

  “Maybe not, but you got it for this one.”

  “Can’t say I feel sorry for the man,” Leo went on to say. “He knows
the rules just like everyone else in the organization.”

  “Unfortunately for him, I’m taking this one a little more personally than I normally would.”

  “Falling in love is a kick in the ass, isn’t it?”

  This time, I laughed. “I’m not in love.”

  “Not yet,” he replied. “But the simple fact that she even matters to you is huge, Sal. She’s gotta be the first person, aside from me, Luca, and Ma, that you’ve ever given a shit about.” Leo huffed over the phone. “Hell, you don’t even care about Frankie, Remy, Robbie, or Sienna.”

  “That’s untrue,” I corrected. “Remy’s a Benetti, of course I care what happens to her-”

  “Caring about Remy because Luca would burn this city to the ground if anything ever happened to her is different from caring about her, and you know it.”

  “She’s my sister-in-law, Leo. She’s going to be the mother of my nephews and/or nieces, one day,” I told him. “Of course, I care. Same for Sienna. She’s a Benetti.”

  “And Robbie. Frankie?” he challenged, and while it was true that I didn’t feel close to them, that didn’t mean I didn’t care about them.

  “I have nothing against Robbie,” I replied. “I like her well enough.” And that was the truth. “As for Frankie, we’ll never be close, but she’s still family.”

  “I used to think the same thing, but when she threatened Sienna, I realized she didn’t hate me as I had originally assumed.”

  “Frankie’s loyal, no doubt about it, but I’m not looking to have any heart-to-hearts with her any time soon.”

  “Fair enough,” he muttered. “Okay, I’m going to go, so I can get to work on the numbers for Luca.”

  “Okay. I’ll let you guys know what happens with Paolo.”

  Leo laughed. “Please do.”

  Finally getting out of the car, I made my way to my condo, ready to shower, run Blake’s background, and then set up a meeting with Paolo.

  No way was this fucker going to get away with the stunt he pulled, and has no doubt pulled before. There’s no way Blake’s been the first woman he’s ever taken advantage of.

  But she was going to be the last.

  Chapter 14

  Blake~

  After Salvatore left my apartment, I had gotten dressed, made myself something to eat, and had cleaned up a bit, getting everything ready to go do laundry. I didn’t have a washer or dryer, so I had to haul my laundry to the laundromat once a week. It was a pain in the ass, but rather than fussing with one load at a time, I was able to wash and dry everything at once.

  When the Uber showed up, the guy was kind enough to help me with my two bags of laundry. And even though it was more expensive to buy detergent and fabric softener from the vending machine, it beat having to lug a big box of laundry detergent and a box of fabric softener around.

  Once the Uber dropped me off and helped me with my bags of clothes, I got my wash started and pulled out my e-reader as my clothes spun in the washing machines.

  However, as much as I tried to read my book, my mind was filled with everything that was Salvatore Benetti and I couldn’t shake all the millions of questions in my head. The most important thing was to not let him pay off my sister’s debt, though. It felt too much like prostitution for my liking and I was super uncomfortable with it.

  Transferring my clothes from the washers to the dryers, I was about ready to try to get back into my book when my phone chimed with an incoming text.

  Cait: Where r u?

  Me: Laundromat

  Cait: Which one?

  Me: I’ll b home n about an hour

  Cait: Text me when u get there. We need to talk

  Me: R u ok?

  Cait: Just text me when u get home

  I took a deep breath as I slipped my phone back in my purse. I thought about Caitlin and wondered what it would take for me to finally wash my hands of her. Every rude demand, every ungrateful dismissal, every self-absorbed mistake, I wondered when I would finally have enough of running to her rescue. I hated the idea that there was a possibility of that day coming but this last mess had gotten a man killed. Sure, he shouldn’t have touched me, but I never should have been there to begin with.

  Finishing up my laundry, I called for an Uber and was waiting patiently for them outside the laundromat. Luckily for me, I had gotten another helpful driver and she had helped me get my things in her car before taking off. She had also helped me carry my bags to my apartment and that had earned her a healthy tip before she left for her next ride.

  I didn’t text Caitlin right away. Instead, I put my laundry away, then ate some lunch. After lunch, I fired off a text letting her know I was home. Knowing it’d take her a bit to get here, I jumped in the shower, made sure the water was hot, and steeled myself for whatever she was bringing to my doorstep this time around.

  I’d just finished pulling my blonde hair back in a ponytail when I heard the knocking on my door. Opening the door, Caitlin didn’t even bother with faking any politeness as she practically pushed me aside to get through the door.

  “By all means, come on in,” I drawled out sarcastically.

  Caitlin turned around as I shut the door. “What in the fuck did you do last night?”

  My head reared back in shock. “What are you talking about?” I had no idea what she did or did not know, but the details weren’t going to come from me.

  “I went to talk to Paolo today and I got told he doesn’t work there anymore,” she said, surprising the hell out of me but not really.

  “And what’s that have to do with me?”

  “Well, the whispers are that something bad happened in the VIP room last night and that Salvatore Benetti took the new girl home,” she spat angrily. “And since you were the only new girl there last night, what the hell happened?”

  I saw red.

  I really did.

  For the first time, in a long time, I was so pissed at my sister, I could hardly speak. “Are you fucking serious, Caitlin?”

  “What?” she scoffed as if she were really in the right here.

  Stepping to her, I said, “I go and put myself on the line to get a loan for the three-thousand you said you owed, only to be told that you owe Paolo five-thousand instead of the three you lied about, and you want to come in here and demand answers from me?” I didn’t let her comment before I added, “And how do you even know that I was there last night? I sure as hell didn’t tell you about the arrangement I had made with Paolo for the rest of the money.”

  Caitlin bristled. “Paolo told me.”

  I shook my head, reaching my limit with her. “Why, exactly, are you here, Caitlin,” I asked. “Why do you care what happened last night? As long as your debt with the Benettis is paid off, what’s the problem?”

  “Paolo promised me a job there!” she yelled.

  “So, apply with the new manager!” I yelled back.

  “You don’t understand!” she kept yelling, and that’s when I knew.

  “You were trading favors with him, weren’t you?”

  “Don’t act so high and mighty, Blake,” she sneered. “You think fucking Salvatore Benetti is such a great accomplishment? Do you know how many women he’s fucked in this city? You’re hardly special.” The venom in her voice was new, honest, and a direct hit.

  “You know what, Caitlin? You need to leave,” I told her. “If you think I’m going to let you come into my home and get crazy with me after everything I’ve done for you, you’re mistaken.”

  “Oh, God,” she cried out. “You really did fuck him, didn’t you?”

  “Who I sleep with is none of your business,” I bit out.

  “Salvatore Benetti doesn’t sleep with women, you idiot. He fucks them,” she fired back.

  “What do you care?” I asked again. “Your debt is cleared, so what is your problem?”

  The ugliest sneer I’ve ever seen crossed my sister’s face. “Oh, I bet it is,” she replied. “So, the next time you’re thinking of looking down
on me for exchanging favors, just remember how you once spread your legs for two-thousand-dollars.”

  “Get out of my house,” I seethed, close to violence. “Get out of my house now, Caitlin.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “The truth hurt?”

  “Get. Out,” I repeated. “And the next time you call me, it better be for rehab, Caitlin.”

  Before she could comment, a knock on my door sounded and I was too angry to even consider who it might be. I walked over, swung the door open, and Salvatore Benetti was standing on the other side.

  Just. Fucking. Great.

  I stepped aside and he walked in, eyeing my sister. I didn’t bother shutting the door since Caitlin was leaving. And she seriously better be leaving.

  When he realized I wasn’t shutting the door, he slid his arm around my waist, pulled me close, and then kissed the side of my head. “Everything okay, baby?”

  Caitlin gasped, but I ignored it. “My sister was just leaving.”

  “You can’t be serious?” Caitlin shrieked. “I-”

  “Get out,” I snapped. “I’m done here, Caitlin.”

  “Miss, I think it’s best you do as Blake asks,” Sal added, his tone making it clear his words weren’t a request.

  She looked back and forth between us both before finally storming out of my apartment. I shut the door behind her and locked it out of habit.

  Sal took a step back. “What was all that about?”

  “She told me never to judge her again since I whored myself out to you for two-thousand-dollars,” I answered honestly, but probably shouldn’t have when those green eyes of his flared.

  “Excuse me?”

  Chapter 15

  Salvatore~

  Blake ran her hands through her hair, letting out a deep, frustrated breath. Then she ran them down her face, looking so tired all of a sudden.

  “I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I never should have said that. This isn’t your problem.”