Love At Last Books 1-3
Page 19
“Angelo,” my father speaks, “you need to be on the watch for Vincent and Matteo Esposito. It’s not the Westies causing all these problems. It’s the Espositos.”
“What the fuck, sir? How is that possible?”
I call my father sir out of respect for him. He may be my father, but he is also the head of the family now, which makes him my boss.
My father begins to fill me in. The Westies refusing to sit at the table had nothing to do with any vendetta against the Vicci family. No, it had everything to do with their decision to pull out of New York and focus the majority of their time on New Jersey. As far as they were concerned, enough blood had been shed between the McGrath and the Vicci families. With Francesco’s death, they were willing to move on. Unfortunately, Matteo Esposito wasn’t going to let that happen. When Lillian went off to college instead of marrying his son, Vincent, the merger of two families never happened. That means that Matteo was slighted at the opportunity to become the next mob boss. The position that my father filled by being Francesco Vicci’s best friend.
Matteo Esposito has been making it look like it has been the Westies all along, when in fact his men and a few traitors from inside the Westies who didn’t like the idea that New York was no longer going to be their stomping grounds joined forces. That’s the problem with mob families; there is always someone looking to get ahead by lying, cheating, and backstabbing.
“Well, Matteo Esposito is no longer an issue, sir. He’s lying here dead on my floor. I just shot him.”
“There will be more. They are coming after you, Angelo. It is not the Vicci women who are in danger. It is you and anyone around you.”
“Understood,” I tell my father
“I’m sending Gabrielle and Lorenzo to help you,” my father informs me. “There will be bloodshed like no other now that you have killed Matteo. I will check in with you tomorrow. They should arrive any minute. I sent them when all this started unfolding. I knew you’d need assistance. If Matteo is there, then I assure you so are Vincent and his men.”
Immediately, my thoughts go to Bethany and Peanut. They are no longer as safe as I thought they were. All this time, I had been preparing for the enemy to be coming for Lillian and Isabella, not me. I toss my phone on the ground and sprint to Bethany’s room. Quietly, I reach for the handle and push the door open. The room is dark except for the light on the bedside table. I look around the room. Her bed is empty, and there is no sign of her anywhere. I immediately know something is wrong; I can feel it in my gut. Peanut. She’s got to be with him. Without hesitation, I move quickly to his room. I’m not quiet this time. No, this time, I’ve got my gun drawn, and I’m ready to kill if need be.
I push the door open to Peanut’s room. The sight of Bethany and Peanut bound and gagged has me stopping in my tracks. Vincent Esposito stands beside them. His gun is drawn as if he is ready to shoot both of them, but my movement has him immediately turning his gun on me.
“Angelo,” he snarls. “Glad you could join the group. I’ll give you two seconds to drop your gun, or I won’t hesitate to end either of their lives.”
I look at Bethany and Peanut. They are scared and crying. Bethany’s eyes are pleading with me not to let anything happen to Peanut. “Fine, Vincent, you win. I’ll put my gun down if you let them go.”
Vincent’s evil laugh echoes in the night. “The tough Angelo Rizzuto isn’t so tough when his piece of ass and her boy are in trouble. You’re pathetic, you know that, right? You’re letting a piece of pussy make you weak.”
My blood boils at his words. Not because he’s calling me weak, but because he referred to Bethany as a piece of pussy. But I can’t let my emotions show, so I stand there with no expression on my face. “It has nothing to do with her being a piece of pussy.” Just saying the words makes me sick. “This beef is between you and me.” My gun is still drawn and pointing at Vincent. “They are merely a job for me and nothing more.”
“Oh, is that so?” Vincent looks pleased with himself as he steps closer to Bethany, placing the butt of his barrel against her head. “So, if I ended her life, it would not break yours?”
Deep down, Vincent knows that he’s right. If anything happens to Bethany, it will destroy me, but I continue to lie. “I couldn’t care less. As I said, she is just a job, but you would hurt Lillian.” I toss her name out there like it’s his lifeline. At one time he loved her, and I’m desperate enough to hope that he still cares.
“I couldn’t care less about Lillian. That bitch became dead to me the day she let you fuck her.”
Vincent must notice the surprise in my eyes. “Yeah, that’s right. I know all about your sick and twisted love life. The minute you thought you were away from the family, you fucked her. I’ve been watching you since the day you stole my opportunity to become the head of this family. You took away what rightfully belonged to me and my father. We should be the ones running the family, not you, and sure as hell not your father.”
Vincent is so preoccupied with his anger for me that he doesn’t notice the two men who pass by the window. But I see them. Gabrielle and Lorenzo are here. All I need to do is buy some time, and I know that Bethany and Peanut will be just fine.
“You’d have never had the opportunity to run this family. Both you and your father are too weak to rule an empire. Besides, your father will never have the opportunity now that he is dead in the other room.” I see the shift in Vincent immediately. “That’s right, you piece of shit. I killed your father, and now I will kill you.”
Vincent moves his gun from Bethany’s head and points it directly at me. “I gave you an opportunity to let them go, and you chose not to. Now I will kill you.”
Vincent laughs. “Not if I kill you first.”
I see the movement of his finger and pull my trigger first, but not fast enough. Vincent gets a shot off before he falls to the ground from my bullet. I feel the sting of his bullet hit my chest. Pain like I’ve never felt before crashes through my body. I see the fear in Bethany’s eyes as she watches me fall to the ground, but it’s Peanut’s eyes that gut me. I want to speak, but I can’t. Everything around me is fuzzy. All I can see is the darkness coming for me and winning. My eyes close, and my world goes black.
THE END… ONLY KIDDING
I know, I know. This book can’t end this way, right? Angelo can’t die. Well, you’re right. I won’t leave you hanging like this. No, Angelo doesn’t die, but I can’t tell you the rest of his story. Stay tuned for Book 4 coming in 2019. This will be the final novella in the Love At Last Series and rightfully, the story will come full circle with Angelo and Bethany.
Book #4
Releasing March 4, 2019
DESERVING LOVE
By K.L. Myers
Chapter 1
BETHANY
This can’t be happening. My mind tries to grasp the enormity of what just happened. Though I want to go to Angelo, my son needs me more. With my hands bound behind my back, I struggle to work my way to my feet. I see the tears running down Peanut’s frightened face as I make my way to him. I drop to my knees in front of him. Still unable to wrap my arms around him, I do the only thing I can think of. I stare straight into his little eyes and plead with him to focus on me.
His little chest hiccups as he tries to breathe through his tiny nose. The duct tape almost covering his nostrils while sealing his lips closed causes him to struggle. What kind of monster does this to a child?
Two men dressed in black enter the room. One immediately drops down beside Angelo, feeling for a pulse. “He’s still alive,” he calls out to his partner, who is kneeling behind me trying to undo the knotted rope from around my wrist.
“Stop moving, Bethany,” his deep voice demands.
Who is this man who knows my name? I wonder. I’m not sure if I should be afraid or welcome the fact that he knows who I am. When my wrists are untied, I tug the tape from my mouth. “Who are you?”
The dark-dressed stranger pulls the tape from Peanut’s
face and quickly gets to work untying my son without speaking a word in response to my question.
“Mommy!” Peanut yells out as his hands are loosened. He jumps into my arms, wrapping his around my neck. “Mommy, Angelwhoa dead?”
“No, baby, no,” I quickly tell him. “Angelo is not dead. He is hurt, baby, really bad, so we need to help these men help him.”
“Who are you?” I ask once again.
The shorter of the two men speaks. “I’m Gabriel”—he points to his friend kneeling beside Angelo—“and that is Lorenzo. We work for his father. We are here to help.”
“Help.” My angry voice startles Peanut. “Helping would have been if you got here before Angelo was shot. Hell, before my son and I were tied and gagged.” My hand instinctively covers the back of Peanut’s head, holding him closer to me as he continues to cry. “Shush, baby, I promise everything will be okay. We’re safe now.”
I look over at Lorenzo, who is speaking very animatedly to someone on the phone. “Yes, he’s shot in the chest.” Silence fills the room. “No, survivable, sir, but he’ll need medical attention soon.” Again, silence fills the room. I attempt to listen to the one-sided conversation without showing any emotion to the words I’m hearing. “Done. We’ll have him home as soon as possible, sir.”
Lorenzo looks at Gabriel No words are spoken aloud, but I’m sure a whole conversation is held between the two as their eyes lock with each other. Moments later, Gabriel walks across the room and kneels to assist Lorenzo in picking Angelo off the floor and placing him on Peanut’s bed.
Once they have Angelo on the bed, Gabriel turns to me to continue our disagreement over the timing of his entry. “Yes, help,” he snarls back. “If we didn’t get here when we did, you’d still be tied up, helpless to do anything but watch our friend die on your floor. Now, take your son and go wait by the front door. Several men will be arriving shortly. Let them in immediately.”
“Wait!” Both men look at me. “We need to call 911. He needs help.”
Lorenzo, who has been quiet until now, speaks. “You need to mind your own business and do as you are told.” His voice carries a sinister tone that tells me he means business as he glares directly at me.
I fight against my instincts to stay, knowing that I’m not in a position to argue any further with these two men. Peanut still wrapped around me, I make my way to my living room. I slump down on the sofa, waiting for God knows who or what to show up. I’m not waiting long though. I hear the sound of four doors slamming. Within seconds, a loud pounding resonates from the front door. Peanut jumps at the sound. Poor baby is still so scared even though I’ve tried to calm him.
I tug open the door to find six men, each one larger and scarier than the next. Without hesitation, they push past me and invade my home. I start to follow, but the last man in line stops at the hallway, blocking my way.
“Sorry, I can’t let you by.”
He can’t let me by? Who does he think he is?
“Excuse me, but this is my home, so I’ll damn well go anywhere I want to.”
Quickly, his hand reaches out, landing on my bicep and squeezing tightly.
“You’ll only be in the way. Sit, or I will seat you.” His eyes glance over to Peanut, who is resting on my hip. “For the boy’s sake, do as I say.”
Damn, he’s right. I don’t need Peanut afraid any more than he already is. I look up at the wall of a man in front of me, giving him the stink eye, then turn and make my way back to the living room to sit and brood.
“Mommy, who’s them men?”
I tug Peanut tighter to me. “They’re here to help Angelo, baby.”
“Help Angelwhoa.” His little head nods up and down agreeing with his statement. “I no want him to die. He my friend, Mommy.”
“I know baby, I know.”
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About the Author
K.L. Myers was born in West Berlin, Germany, while her father was stationed there. She spent her childhood moving from continent to continent, finally landing permanently in Colorado when her father retired. Eventually, K.L. moved to "hell" aka Arizona, where she resides with her husband & their fur babies. She has two grown daughters & three grandchildren.
KL has a passion for reading and writing hot romances when she isn't juggling family & a full-time job.
Her books & novellas show a pension for a bad boy with a heart of gold. Coupling her bad boys with strong, independent women who don't need rescuing, and just maybe a taste of naughty redemption! Her characters will pull you in & leave you satiated yet panting for more, More, MORE!
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Other Books by K.L. Myers
Love At Last Series
A Chance At L.O.V.E (Bid On Love Series Book 4 / Love At Last Series Book 1)
Lost In L.O.V. (Book 2)
COMING IN2019
Deserving Love (Book 4) - Angelo and Bethany’s Story
The Second Chance Series
Reawaken His Heart (Book 1)
Reclaiming His Future (Book 2)
Rediscovering His Life (Book 3)
COMING IN 2019
Redefining His Present (Book 4)
Razor’s Edge Series
Rocking Between The Sheets (Prequel)
Sheet Music (Book 1)
Heart Beats (Book 2)
COMING IN 2019
Loving Ivory (Book 3)
Standalone Books
Captured