I waited for her to say something else, but when she stayed silent, I said, “Ask him to meet them,” wanting to take that look away from her eyes. I didn’t know why I didn’t want to see anything but happiness in her eyes. When I’d first seen her on the pathway last week laughing, I’d thought she was easygoing, but now that I was sitting opposite her, I could see there was so much more to her than what I’d first seen.
And in that moment, I realized I’d judged her, just like everyone did to me. They took one look at me and who my parents were and shoved me to the side, not wanting to bother. I hated when people did that to me, and that was what I’d done to Aida. I’d put her in a box, not even giving her a chance. And now I was here, sitting opposite her and wishing I could get to know her more.
“I keep asking, but he just has so much going on. And then the business is—” She cut herself off, her cheeks turning red. “I mean, everything is just so hectic, you know?” I didn’t know, but it was obvious from the way she reacted that she was saying too much. “Anyway, tell me about you.” She placed her hand on her chin. “Have you chosen your major yet?”
“Not yet.” I gnawed on my bottom lip. “I know what I want to be, I’m just not sure how to get there. I need to keep my GPA up for my scholarship, so I’m just trying to get my prerequisites out of the way first.”
“That’s a good plan.” The ringing of her cell blasted out, and she sighed, showing me the name Romeo on her screen. She clicked ignore, grinning as it started immediately ringing again. “That’ll teach him.” She pushed her shoulders back, looking super proud of herself. She placed it on the middle of the table, and we both watched as he called her over and over again. “I need Mateo back,” she whined.
I wanted to tell her I knew how she was feeling. I hadn’t seen him once since the morning in the apartment, and however needy it sounded, I just wanted to see him one more time. I wanted to know I didn’t imagine the look in his eyes as he stared down at me on his bed. I wanted to know that he felt the connection that I did.
Aida’s cell rang again, but this time the name Lorenzo flashed on the screen. “Should have known,” she ground out, picking her cell up and holding it to her ear. “Hello?” She grinned at me as she listened to the person on the line. She paused. “Yes?” She tilted her head. “I’m with a friend.” Tapping her fingers on the table, she asked, “Where are you?” I took a gulp of my coffee now that it had cooled down. “I told you, I’m with a friend.” She raised her brows, the silence stretching. “Yeah, well, Romeo is boring. He didn’t say a single word to me on the way here.” Her nostrils flared, her annoyance loud and clear. “I do. He messed up my chi.” She narrowed her eyes. “Yeah. My chi. I haven’t even been able to go to classes he messed it up that much.”
I bit down on my bottom lip to hold my laugh in. She was being dramatic, but I had no doubt she knew that.
“I need you to come get me.” I heard the deep baritone over the line and then her eyes widened. “You are?” She took a drink of her coffee, trying to down it but shivering at the action. “Why didn’t you start with that? I’ll be out in two minutes. Just going to say bye to my friend.”
She grabbed her bags and turned to face me as she ended the call. “Hubby saved me from a silent ride with Romeo.” She chuckled but couldn’t contain her grin. She stood, tapping on the table. “Let’s do this again.”
“Okay.” I nodded, not sure if we would. It was what most people did to be polite, but as she rushed out of the store, I couldn’t help but hope we could. I’d never had a real friend. Maybe she could be my first.
* * *
MATEO
Being a member of the Beretta Mafia wasn’t just about the mansions and money. That was just a front for the people from the outside looking in. It was about brotherhood—trust—but it was also full of deception. There was always someone waiting in the ranks to take you down, and today was no different.
The Enterprise had been in place for decades, but the more meetings we attended, the clearer it was becoming that what used to work with Lorenzo’s dad, Luca, no longer fit the situations we were in.
Lorenzo spoke of a time when The Enterprise would work together, but as I stood here staring at two of its members around the table, I knew it was no longer the case.
We’d already lost trust in the side organization that was meant to keep all of us safe from each other, so now it was about building the bridges. Which meant showing them that we meant business. That we’d have their backs.
Lorenzo leaned back in his seat, swiping his finger over his chin back and forth. “I heard you had a break-in?” He directed it to Gio Pozzi, the man who had taken over for Piero. Piero had run their family for years, until Lorenzo got rid of him.
“That’s right.” Gio’s eyes narrowed, his hands fisted on the table. He was clearly angry at the situation.
Lorenzo nodded. “I also heard that you were having trouble identifying the perpetrators.”
Gio’s nostrils flared. Lorenzo was calling him out, but in a way that made it look like he was helping. We all felt the tension around the table, and we all read between the lines.
“I put my men to work.” Lorenzo stood, pushing his hands in his pockets. It was a move that spoke of him being comfortable being at the head of this table. One they all took notice of. There was no way they hadn’t heard of the changes he was making inside the Beretta Mafia. “And we found them.” He turned to meet my stare, giving me the silent signal.
My gaze flicked to Christian who stood on the other side of Lorenzo. He wasn’t present at all of these meetings, but when we needed an extra set of eyes, he was always there, ready to take anyone down who posed a threat.
I sauntered around the table and to the back door, then flung it open, knowing that Romeo would be standing there with the two guys. He pushed them forward, and I waved my arm in the direction of the table. The men did as they were told, knowing what was about to happen.
Romeo had already had his fun with them if the bruises and dried blood were anything to go by. He walked them to the opposite side of the table, presenting them to the men sitting around it.
“I believe they’re from the crew trying to steal territory from you,” Lorenzo said to Gio, but he didn’t look away from the two men. The crew colors they wore told us exactly who they were. Lorenzo knew that this wouldn’t go unanswered, but he’d told us he was done playing defense. Peace could only come after violence.
“They are,” Gio ground out, standing. His body was tense, a vein in his neck pulsing. I stepped forward, keeping my attention focused solely on him. If he made one wrong move, I wouldn’t hesitate to take him out. I didn’t trust him, which was why I’d had Romeo doing recon on him and his family. “Thanks for finding them,” Gio continued. “But I’ll handle it from here.”
Lorenzo tutted, shaking his head with a grin on his face. “You assume too much, Gio.” Lorenzo pushed his hands in his pockets. “You see, this crew were also trying to get into my territory too.” He winked at them, and I knew it was coming. It was only a matter of moments now. “Isn’t that right, gentlemen?”
They stared at each other, probably trying to figure out how much they should say. A crew were as tightknit as a Mafia family, but that didn’t mean there weren’t leaks in the organization. There was always one who was willing to cut a deal. We already had the intel we needed, but now it was just a waiting game to see who would talk first here.
Lorenzo glanced down at his watch, looking bored as hell. “I have somewhere to be.” His head snapped up. “One of you better talk or you’ll both get a bullet between your eyes.”
“You’re right,” the one on the left with black hair shaved close to his head blurted out. He lunged forward, his hands slapping on the wooden table. “Please don’t kill me. I’ll tell you anything you need to know—”
“Anything?” Lorenzo tilted his head to the side, making it look like he was considering it. But my hand was moving to my waistband, ready
to pull out the piece of metal that would end the traitor’s life. I smoothly worked my way closer to them, not gaining the attention of anyone else in the room. They were too preoccupied with watching the show in front of them.
“Anything.” The guy looked frantic, apparently now realizing what was happening around him. “Their plan is to take it all. It’s not just us. We’re little fish in a much bigger pond.” His chest heaved as he tried to breathe while telling us as much as he could as quickly as possible.
“Who is the bigger fish?” Lorenzo asked. He hadn’t changed his posture, or his tone, but the narrowing of his eyes told me that he was listening intently. I was only a couple of feet away from the two traitors now. I didn’t technically need to be this close, but it was something I liked to do. Death was the final thing to happen in a person’s life, and I thought it should be respected, even if I was the one who was causing it.
“We don’t know. They wouldn’t let us see them.” Lorenzo blinked, but it wasn’t a normal blink. He kept his lids closed for several seconds too long, the signal that I’d been waiting for. I snapped the gun off my waistband, extended my arm, and fired off two shots in quick succession, one for each of them, landing in the middle of their foreheads.
Blood spattered all over my light-gray shirt, and I cursed, knowing there was no way I would get it out now. I should have known better though. I should have worn black.
Their bodies slumped forward, the blood marking the wood of the table and the carpet on the ground. The entire room would need more than a clean, it’d need an overhaul. But Lorenzo would take care of that. He always did.
I clicked the safety on, stowed it back in its holster, and tilted my head at Romeo. “Get rid of them.” His gaze veered over to Lorenzo, and my temper skyrocketed. He’d second-guessed everything I’d told him from the time I’d been made captain. I’d thought it was growing pains, but now I was seeing that I had to nip it in the bud.
Lorenzo’s deep voice echoed around the room, but I didn’t pay full attention to it. Instead, I took three steps toward Romeo. “You got something to say?” I ground out, low enough so only he would hear me.
“The boss—”
“Is busy,” I interrupted, staring him right in the eyes. “I gave you an order, soldier.” I paused, letting that sink in. “I give you your orders. Not Lorenzo. You answer to me.” I swiped a droplet of blood off my cheek, knowing that it would only smear. “Are we clear?”
Romeo’s nostrils flared, his face turning red, but finally he clipped his head in a nod and moved toward the two bodies. I crossed my arms over my chest, watching as he dragged them out of the door and into the back room where several more soldiers were waiting to help him. I’d had three more join ranks under me. They were up and coming, needing to learn the ropes, but they were getting there. One of them was Romeo’s brother, Rafael. From what I’d seen so far, he was the total opposite of Romeo. Where Romeo never cracked a smile, he was full of them. I couldn’t help but wonder how long that would last in our business.
Once the door clicked closed behind Romeo, I looked back up, spotting Lorenzo walking toward me. He didn’t need to say a word to let me know he was ready to go. I simply fell into line behind him.
“Problems?” he asked as we entered the SUV.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I told him, starting the engine. “Where to?”
“Home. Aida is waiting for me.” He pulled out his satellite phone, effectively ending the conversation. Being part of the organization meant you needed to learn when to speak and when not to. I wasn’t sure it was something I could teach to my soldiers, but I was determined to show them the way. We all had a reason why we’d joined, whether by blood or by force. Whichever it was, loyalty and dedication had to be at the forefront of every decision.
I swiped my hand down my face, trying to formulate a plan to effectively show my soldiers without putting any of them at risk. My job just got a hell of a lot harder than I’d ever thought it would be.
CHAPTER 8
LUNA
The hand on the clock ticked by, haunting me. I had an hour until the midnight deadline, and I couldn’t find my laptop anywhere. It had been here when I got home from college earlier, but now it was nowhere to be seen. I was positive I’d left it on my bed while I went to have a shower. Had I imagined it?
No. My assignment was ready to go, all I needed was to do a last proofread and then I could click send. But not if I didn’t find the damn laptop.
I yanked the sheets off, searched under the comforter, under my bed, and even in my small set of drawers that held the few thrift store clothes I owned.
Fuck. What if I’d left it in the kitchen when I grabbed a snack earlier?
I darted out of my bedroom and ran down to the living room. Mom was half lying on the edge of the sofa, her eyes far away, and Dad was sitting next to her on the floor, his hand on her thigh. It didn’t matter what happened, they were always close to each other. Although, I thought it was more Dad than Mom.
Sometimes I wondered if she wasn’t around, whether he would have stayed clean. He never seemed to have as much trouble not buying the toxic stuff, but when she was high, it was as if he needed to be right there with her.
I pulled in a breath, trying to control myself enough to get the words out. They hadn’t had any drugs when I’d first gotten home, but now there were two extra people in the apartment, so they’d clearly found some. “Have you seen my laptop?”
Silence. From all four of them.
I barged into the room, slamming my feet on the floor as I went. “Mom!” I snatched the cigarette out of her mouth, but even that didn’t faze her. She was too high for her own good, shut off in her own world where nothing and nobody mattered. “Have you seen my laptop?” I repeated.
She moaned, her eyes rolling as if I was an annoying gnat. “Go away,” she croaked out, her voice grittier than usual. It was a clear signal that she’d only just taken whatever poison she was currently obsessed with.
“Dad?” I turned my attention to him. “Have you seen my laptop?”
He glanced away, and deep down I knew what had happened. They wouldn’t come out and say it, but there was a full baggie of white powder sitting in front of them.
My breath left me slowly, my gaze moving from my mom to my dad and back again. I tried to keep my cool, I really did, but this just felt like the last straw. They’d promised me they’d stay clean. They’d spoken of a life where we could be together and build our relationship, but nothing had changed. Nothing would ever change. It didn’t matter how many times I held out hope, they’d dash it without a second thought.
“You sold it.” It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. One that neither of them denied. “Why would you do that?” I threw my hands up in the air and started to pace the small living room. Mom chuckled, and the sound reached down inside me, roaring the spark igniting inside me and flourishing it into a roaring flame. “I hate you!” I knew I sounded like a surly teenager, but I felt it deep down in my bones.
I should have moved here on my own, started fresh without them. But there was always that small part of me that wished they would change, and when it was so close—within arm’s reach—it was irresistible to think it would be different.
“Do you realize what you’ve done?” I shouted.
“Luna,” Dad slurred, trying to stand. He put his hand on the sofa but missed it twice. On his third attempt, he stumbled fully onto the floor.
“Look at you.” I shook my head, my voice lowering. “Look at the state you’re both in.”
Mom snorted. “There she is again.” Her voice sounded as clear as it had the last time that she was clean. “Judging us again.” She lifted herself up into a seated position, her gaze latching on to mine and not letting go. “You have no idea what it’s like to be us.”
“Seriously—”
“You don’t.” She pointed her finger at me, her hands shaking at the move. “When I was a kid, my mom was never
home—”
“And my mom was constantly high!” I slapped my hands against my thighs. “At least you didn’t have to witness your mom waste her goddamn life.” I huffed out a breath, not believing she was going to use the same goddamn sob story on me again. “Your story worked when I was seven.” I pushed some hair out of my face. “It worked when I was eight. When I was nine. But when I hit ten?” I pursed my lips, raising a brow at her. “I realized it was an excuse. An excuse you used to make yourself feel better for not being my mom.”
“Don’t you dare,” she screeched, throwing herself off the sofa. She stumbled into the makeshift table, and I noticed now that the wooden one that was sitting there last week must have been sold too. Now it was a cardboard box they’d balanced but it was already collapsing in on itself, just like she was. “I was abandoned by my dad! Yours is sitting right there!” She threw her arm out in my dad’s direction, hitting him across the head in the process, but he didn’t seem to even feel it.
“No,” I whispered. I backed away from them. “That isn’t my dad. My dad only comes around when you get clean.” I made it all the way to the doorway of the living room. “You’re not the only ones whose parents abandoned her.” I placed my hand over my heart. “The only difference is, I had to watch my mom and dad each day while they disappeared into their own world. You may have physically been there, but you left me before we even had a chance.”
Dad raised his hand, his eyes blinking rapidly. Mom started shouting, but I blocked her out. I’d said my piece. I’d told them how I felt, even if they wouldn’t remember it by morning.
I spun around, needing to get the hell out of this place. I practically ran toward the front door. My feet were bare, my hair still wet, but that didn’t bother me, I still yanked the door open and slammed it behind me, causing the frame to shake. I was too angry to think, too raging to care what I looked like. I walked from one edge of the apartment building to the other, staring at the stairs every time I moved past them. It was yet another reminder of what else was going on in my life.
Mateo Caputo: Unseen Underground Page 9
