by Bella Jewel
I look to Vincent, who looks to Benito, then they both turn back to me.
“Please don’t hurt me,” I say, my voice weak. “I know how this looks, but you have no idea.”
“You betrayed the mafia. That takes balls,” Benito says, his voice lacking any tone. “Which obviously makes us realize that you’re doing it for a good reason. I’m guessing that reason is what Rafael is going to collect right now.”
My face falls, and they both nod.
“What we want to know is who is using that to get you to do their dirty work.”
“Please,” I say. “You don’t understand.”
“Make us understand,” Vincent says in a clipped tone. “Rafael will kill you, Julietta. Child or no child.”
That’s what scares me the most.
“I c-c-c-can’t.”
Benito sighs and says to Vincent, “A word?”
Vincent pulls another set of cuffs from his jacket and walks towards me, yanking me up and dragging me towards a huge heater that protrudes from the wall in the living area. He cuffs me to it.
“I don’t need to remind you again that if you try to run, I’ll kill you.”
“Where the hell am I going to go?” I mutter. “There’s nowhere I could run that he wouldn’t find me.”
“Smart girl. It’s a shame you didn’t use those brains before double crossing him.”
I glance at my feet.
Vincent disappears to talk to Benito.
It’s probably not worth it, but I close my eyes and I pray.
For a miracle.
For my son.
For everything.
~*~*~*~
RAFAEL
I pound on the door to the address Julietta gave me. Rage unlike anything I’ve ever felt courses through my veins. Rage and betrayal. Raw, broken betrayal. She lied to me. She fucking used me. She double crossed me. It was her . . . All along it was fucking her. The woman I fell in love with. The woman I gave my heart to.
This is exactly why I don’t fucking do love. The pain in my chest is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Celia opens the door, keeping the chain on. “Rafael?” she says, and I can hear the panic in her voice. She knows.
“You have exactly three seconds to open this door or I’ll shoot it down,” moving my jacket slightly to the side to show her my glock.
Her eyes get big, and she carefully opens the door, stepping back. I scan the apartment. It’s nicer than Julietta’s old one, but it’s still rundown. I spot a bottle on the kitchen counter, and something happens inside my chest. It twists. She’s been doing this, whatever it is, to protect a baby. Our baby.
That doesn’t matter.
She betrayed me.
“Where’s the boy?”
Celia’s eyes widen. “I don’t know w-w-w-what you’re talking about.”
“You just stuttered, and there’s a bottle on the table. Give me the child or I’ll shoot you.”
She takes a deep breath and squares her shoulders. She’s tough. “Shoot me, then, but you’re not touching Ajax.”
Ajax?
I almost laugh out loud. She has to be fucking kidding me? She named our son, the first son in my line, Ajax?
“Ten seconds, Celia. I’m not fucking around. I have Julietta, and I will kill her if you don’t hand him over. She knows I’m coming to get him.”
“You have Julie?” she breathes.
“I have her. I know what she’s done. She’s my business now, and so is the boy. Hand him the fuck over.”
“She had to,” she says frantically. “She had no choice. He was going to hurt her baby, and her father, and—”
“Who?” I demand, cutting her off.
Her eyes widen, and she clamps her mouth shut.
“Who the fuck was she working with?” I demand.
“I d-d-d-don’t know. I just know it was a man and he was threatening her.”
“Liar,” I hiss.
“I’m not lying,” she snaps. “I have no reason to lie.”
I step closer. “You have every reason to lie.”
She stares at me, unwavering.
“Give me the child.”
“I’m not just handing him over. I might be small and you might have a gun, but I will fight you until I’m dead before handing that baby to you. If you want him, then you take me with you. I want to know Julie is okay, and when and only when she tells me you can have him will I let him anywhere near you.”
Strong, sassy, confident. I like her.
I still glare at her. “If you wish to come, I’m not going to stop you. Now collect the child.”
“He has a name,” she snaps.
“I heard. It’s awful.”
She glowers at me. “It is not awful; it just isn’t Italian. Julietta isn’t stupid.”
The sound of her name makes my heart clench, and I growl, “My patience is wearing thin. The baby. Now.” She betrayed me. Wild rage bubbles in my chest.
She mutters something under her breath and turns, walking down the hall. I wait with bated breath. I don’t know how it’s going to feel to see this child, this creation of Julietta and me. Kids are something I always wanted, but not like this. The anger in my chest is something I can’t move at the moment. I highly doubt a baby will change that.
Celia walks out with a bundle in her arms, wrapped in a blue blanket.
I forget how to breathe.
She stops in front of me and I stare down. Dark hair, so much dark hair. He’s sleeping, hands so fucking small bundled into fists. I can tell even without his eyes being open that he’s my son. He looks exactly like I did as a baby. Pain, confusion, regret, and anger bubble in my chest. A mix of emotions I can’t handle.
“Rafael, meet your son, Ajax.”
No.
God fucking dammit.
“Let’s go,” I growl, my voice a broken rasp. “Now!” I assert as I grab the baby car seat sitting next to the front door.
I turn and walk out.
I can’t. I can’t fucking do it.
CHAPTER 16
“Celia!” I cry from my spot on the lounge, where I’m still handcuffed.
Celia has Ajax in her arms and she’s just walked into Rafael’s house, followed by him. I leap up but Vincent takes my arm and jerks me back down.
“Let her go, you animal,” Celia snaps to Vincent. “She’s not a dog.”
He stares at her. She sweeps past him as if he’s nothing more than a fly. She sits down beside me and brings Ajax close. His sleepy eyes flutter and he has just started to stir. He’ll be hungry.
“Let her go. She needs to be with her son,” Celia demands, looking over to Rafael who is staring at Ajax with a blank expression.
“She’s going nowhere,” Rafael growls.
“I wasn’t saying let her go, I was saying uncuff her so she can take care of your son. I’m sure you have plenty of protection to make sure she doesn’t run.”
Rafael looks to Vincent and nods. “Try and run—”
“You’ll kill me. I hear you,” I snap.
Vincent uncuffs me, and I pull Ajax out of Celia’s hands. “Hi baby,” I say softly, nuzzling his hair. “I’m so sorry.”
“Fuck, if that ain’t a Lencioni child . . .” Vincent mumbles to himself, then looks to Rafael who glares at him. “Sorry boss.”
“Did you bring his things?” I ask Celia.
“Only his bottles. Rafael didn’t give me a chance.”
I glare at Rafael. “If you want to keep us here, you need to get his things.”
He stares at me, his face so blank it’s concerning. “You do not get to make give fucking orders. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Then kill me,” I hiss, finding my spine. “Or stop carrying on about it.”
Vincent wheezes and Benito snorts, turning around.
Rafael storms towards me, but stops short when Ajax starts to cry.
“Got Lencioni lungs, too.” Vincent winces, standing up.
“No shit,” Benito mutters.
“Vincent,” Rafael orders. “You will go and get whatever Julietta needs. Set it up in the lockable room.”
“I’m not a prisoner!” I say, standing. Ajax cries and I pat his bottom to try and soothe him, but he’s hungry.
“Make that child stop screaming,” Rafael roars at me.
I flinch and step back. “That child is your son,” I whisper. “You pig.”
“That child is a lie,” he says, his voice dropping. “Just like you.”
He turns and stalks out of the room. Celia pulls a bottle from her tote bag and storms into the kitchen adjacent to the living room, but Vincent stops her. “Show me that bottle.”
“It’s not a damned bomb, psycho. It’s a bottle. Would you like a fucking sip, too?”
He crosses his arms.
“Do you think you scare me?” she says. “Because you don’t.”
“I’m not trying to scare you. If I was, you’d be scared.”
Celia snorts. “As if. As I said to your broody brother, I might be small, but I will fuck you up if you so much as try and come near me.”
Vincent’s lips quirk, but he keeps his arms crossed. I think he’s met his match. “The bottle, girl.”
“My name is Celia, not that you’ll ever have a reason to scream that.” She looks him up and down. “Pity.”
I swear Vincent looks as if he’s going to burst out laughing or maybe he’s just going to sweep her up and eat her alive. Either way, the grimace on his face right now is priceless.
“Bottle,” he grinds out.
She thrusts it at him and he shakes it up, twisting it around. Then he opens it, smells, and winces. “Fuck me. That’s nasty.”
“It’s not for you, dickhead,” Celia snaps. “Ajax thinks it’s lovely.”
Vincent thrusts the bottle back at her and looks to me. “Ajax? Seriously?”
I push my chin out and keep patting Ajax’s bottom. “Ajax. Don’t like it? I don’t care.”
Vincent shakes his head. “Women.”
He walks over but stops when he stares down at his nephew. “He’s fuckin’ cute, though.”
With that, he come back to the center of the living room to play guard. Celia heats the bottle and comes back, handing it to me. I sit down and nurse Ajax in my arms while I feed him. Being up so late is going to throw his entire sleep schedule, and that’s going to be hard to get back.
But for right now, we’re both alive.
Now I just have to worry about my parents.
~*~*~*~
“Who are you working with?” Rafael demands.
My eyes are heavy, and I’m tired.
I haven’t slept. Ajax was awake all night, even after Benito went and got his portable crib. And Rafael is still standing here, demanding answers that I can’t give him right now. I don’t know who is safe and who isn’t, and if this is going to get me or my son killed. Not to mention my father and mother aren’t safe. Riccardo will have a back-up plan for a situation like this, that is guaranteed.
“Answer me!” Rafael roars, bringing a fist down onto the table.
We’re sitting in his office. Celia is sleeping with Ajax in her arms, and I’m here, not saying a damned word and angering the man I love even more.
“Not talking won’t get you anywhere, Julietta. I will fucking find out, and you will suffer for it.”
I keep my lips pressed together and glare at him.
“Dammit,” he barks, sweeping everything off his desk. His laptop hits the wall and smashes in two. Paper scatters all over the floor. “At least tell me fucking why.”
If I tell him why, I give away too much. I keep silent.
He slams a hand against his chest. “Did this mean any-fucking-thing to you?”
I flinch. “Of course it did,” I say, not able to keep my silence for that one. “It meant everything to me.”
“You’re a filthy, pathetic liar. I should have ended you when I found out what you were doing.”
That hurts.
He’s angry, I know, but that hurts.
“Then why didn’t you?”
“Because you have information I need.”
“And after you get that information?” I hold his eyes, a challenge.
“I don’t know.”
“I have a son. We have a son. If you kill me, you have to live with the knowledge you’ve taken a mother from your child for the rest of your life. That would make you the scum of this earth.”
Rafael storms towards me, and I skitter backwards in the chair. He leans down, slamming his hands on the armrests on either side of my body. Then he leans in close. “Don’t. Don’t you fucking ever paint me as something I’m not. You’re the liar. You’re the betrayer. You’re the scum.”
Hold it in, Julie. Be strong. “Get away from me,” I whisper.
“Not until you tell me who the hell you’re working with.”
“I’ll never tell you,” I yell, losing it. I reach up, shoving his chest. He doesn’t move. “I don’t trust any of you. I trust nothing. I’m not safe . . .”
His eyes flicker, and his face softens for a split second before growing hard again. “You could have been safe with me.”
“You’re the reason I’m in this mess!” I scream. “Dammit, I wish I never fucking met you, Rafael Lencioni.”
He looks as if I’ve slapped him. He straightens and stares down at me. “You and me both.”
He turns and walks out of the room, and a second later Vincent enters. “Get up, Julie.”
I stand on shaky, exhausted legs, and I follow him down the hall to the room. He unlocks it, I step in without a word, and he locks it again. Celia sits on the bed, looking tired, too. Our eyes meet and I crumble, dropping to my knees. She gets up and rushes over, wrapping her arms around me. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”
“It’s not. Nothing is okay. I’m scared, Celia.”
“Tell them the truth, Julie. They can protect you. That jerk can’t keep doing this to you. I would have killed him months ago if I had my chance, but I’m not the mafia. They are. Let them help.”
I flash her a glare and then look up, jerking my head. She follows my eyes and sees the cameras. She sighs and leans in, whispering, “He might be angry, hurt, and betrayed, but if he wanted to kill you he would have. Trust in him. Tell him the truth.”
I twist my head and whisper to her, “Riccardo will kill me or someone I love. You know he will. If I say anything, someone will get hurt.”
“They’ll find out,” she whispers. “You know they will. Tell them, Julie.”
I stand, cutting the conversation short. I’m not doing this. I’m not. I walk over and glance in the crib. Ajax is sound asleep. I turn to Celia. “I need to sleep.”
She nods. “Me too. I couldn’t until I knew you were okay. Come on, let’s get some rest.”
We climb into the bed together, and I could almost swear I’m asleep before my head hits the pillow.
Finally, I can enjoy a second away from this madness.
CHAPTER 17
RAFAEL
My glass flies across the room and smashes into the wall. A loud, angry roar is ripped from my chest. I launch my lamp next, shattering it into a thousand fucking pieces.
Not only is the woman I love betraying me, but someone is making her do it. She won’t say a fucking word. She won’t give me anything. Was any of it ever real to her?
“Boss.”
I spin around to see Vincent standing in the door, studying me. “Get the fuck out, Vin,” I bark.
“No. You’re my brother. You’re angry. You’re going to fuck up if I don’t have your back. I won’t leave.”
“She fucking betrayed me,” I rasp.
“She’s scared.”
I snap angry eyes to him but as always, he doesn’t back down. “What the fuck do you know?”
He crosses his arms. “She loves you.”
“She’s a fucking con artist who has you fooled, to
o.”
“Don’t talk down to me, Rafael,” he growls. “I’m a lot of things, but I’m not fucking stupid. That girl loves you. I can see the pure, raw pain in her face. She’s scared. She isn’t doing this because she wants to hurt you—she’s doing it because she has no other choice.”
“Bullshit,” I bark.
“If you can’t see that, then you’re the fucking stupid one.”
Anger bubbles up in my throat, but I say nothing. I just glare at him.
“Whoever is using her is smart. A mother will do anything to protect her child. Something you’ll learn one day.”
“And you’re a fucking expert . . .” I grunt at him.
“Yeah, I fucking am, because our mother would have died for us.”
That’s like a punch to the gut. He’s hitting me where it hurts, and he knows it. “It doesn’t matter why she’s doing it; she’s still betraying the fucking mafia.”
“Maybe, but you don’t know the extent of that.”
“Because she won’t fucking talk.”
“No,” Vincent says. “But I know who will.”
My eyes flash to his. “Speak.”
He raises a hand and produces a tape from one of my cameras. I take it and plug it into my television, switching it on. It’s Celia and Julietta in the room we have them locked in. They’re talking and Celia says, “Tell them the truth, Julie. They can protect you. That jerk can’t keep doing this to you. I would have killed him months ago if I had my chance, but I’m not the mafia. They are. Let them help.” Then Julietta points to the ceiling and they start whispering.
“Celia knows,” Vincent says.
“Celia told me she knew it was a man, and that’s all,” I murmur, rubbing my chin.
“Then she lied. I’d bet my left nut that she knows who it is.”
“She’s a strong woman, didn’t back down when I confronted her. What makes you think she’ll give it away?”
Vincent’s eyes find mine. “Everyone has a weakness, Raf. She doesn’t have a baby to protect. She’ll be easier to crack.”
I exhale and rub my forehead. “Let them sleep, then we’ll question her.”
“That newborn is going to wake soon, and they won’t get any sleep.”
I glare at him. “And?”
“He’s your son, Rafael. He’s a Lencioni.”
