My Heart

by A J Wolf

  Forty minutes later I’m clicking my brass knuckles along the table as Donatello flips aimlessly through tv channels. Andrea fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago, head hanging over his chest at an angle that makes my own hurt. This isn’t nearly as exciting as most people expect it to be. The ring of my phone is obnoxiously loud and I hastily grab it, answering on the first ring as Andrea jerks awake. “Pronto.”

  “Capo Famiglia, I fratelli Daly sono nella posizione richiesta.Tre morti dalla nostra parte e dieci per The Westies…Tutti vengono gestiti.” Capo Famiglia, the Daly Brothers are in the required position. Three dead on our side and ten dead for The Westies…All are managed. Thomas says from the line, always quick and efficient; something I appreciate.

  “Finisci e torna a casa. Buon lavoro.” Finish and go home. Good work.

  I stand and stretch after ending the call. “Time to go stronzos.”

  ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

  As promised Finn and Brody Daly are bound and tied to steel chairs in one of the spare houses we use by the harbor. Finn is still unconscious, blood dripping from his temple but Brody is glaring daggers at us and yelling unintelligibly through his gag. Standing in front of them I casually tuck my hands in my pockets and nod to Andrea who removes the bindings from Brody’s face.

  “You feckin bastard! You’ll pay for this!” He yells out, veins bulging from his temples as he fights his restraints.

  I hum in response as Andrea slams his fist into his nose, an audible crunching making my fingers itch for their own taste of violence. “Show some fucking respect.”

  Finn is slowly coming too, head bobbing up and down as he tries to wake up enough to figure out what’s happening. Brody is cursing at Andrea and I cut him off, drawing his attention to me. “Joseph McGrath signed over your lives to me. You won’t be getting any support from The Westies.” Waiting until Finn makes eye contact with me and looks somewhat alert, I continue, “Tell me why you were blackmailing Julian.”

  Finn coughs, a bloody mucus hitting the floor and dripping down his chin as he eyes Andrea looming near him. “That’s a question for yer brudder.”

  Donatello is at my side and he frowns with distaste at them, “Explain.”

  Brody spits blood from his nose onto the ground towards my feet, wincing slightly as Andrea leans his way. “Why the feck should we tell you shite?

  Finn speaks up before I can, a look of icy contempt on his face. “We’re going to die anyway brudder, might as well get these ejits to take out Gavino for us…seeing how he let us walk right into this fecking trap.” After a hacking cough he raises his gaze back to mine. “Gavino searched us out, wanted to mess with ye a bit, fuck up your get along…”

  “And who are we to interfere with a good sibling rivalry?” Brody finishes, still eyeing Andrea.

  “Was Julian’s death planned?” Andrea asks through gritted teeth, fists clenched at his side, already angry with the answer he knows is coming.

  Finn nods, sending a glance his way before returning his gaze to me, “He was no longer needed. Keeping him any longer would have been a liability.”

  “You can thank Gavino for that little set up, he planned out the whole shindig…if I remember correctly, he was giddy as a babe the whole time.” Brody pipes up, intentionally goading Andrea.

  Andrea takes an angry step forward and a slight shake of my head pauses his movement. I’m burning with rage on the inside but I want them to keep talking, beating them into a pulp while they’re providing information is counterproductive. “Why did you target Beverly on the night of the gala if you were just interested in the goods Gavino could provide?” My fingers are twitching in my pockets, that damn anxious energy from earlier prickling along my spine.

  “Beverly? Is that yer wan? She’s a cute hoor ain’t she? And feisty ain’t it Finn? She took out two of our men like it was nothin.” Brody eggs on, clearly trying to pull our attention away from my actual question. Giving Andrea the okay, he boxes Brody’s ears roughly, a thin line of blood leaking from his right drum.

  Finn grimaces at his brothers howls of pain and I repeat my question. “Why did you target Beverly.”

  “We were planning on using her as leverage to get more supplies. Gavino backed out on us and we have some buyers who don’t take kindly to not getting their shipments…”

  Donatello asks the question that’s on the tip of my tongue. “Why would Gavino back out?”

  Brody sends a look towards Finn and smiles, blood staining his teeth, “You didn’t know yeh brudder was lusting after yer wan?” He clucks while shaking his head and Andrea steps forward.

  Finn rushes to speak before Andrea can dole out his punishment, “He calls her his sad angel. Obsesses over her. It’s right creepy. He didn’t like that we planned to use her and backed out of our agreement…pushed our plans forward sooner than anticipated. He didn’t know we were going to attack the night of the gala, he’d already cut ties.”

  My blood is boiling, that itch for violence a steady burn now. Why would Gavino want Beverly? She’s never even shown him any interest. Sick fucker will get his own soon. “Who are you supplying that you needed so much?”

  Finn smiles now, raising a brow. “Now that’s a secret I’ll be taking to me grave.”

  Donatello raises a brow of his own, looking at me for direction. I don’t actually care who they were dealing with. They aren’t my problem. “Fine. Go ahead Andrea.”

  I start to turn, I’ve gotten the information I needed. The biggest being that Gavino is Beverly’s stalker. “Wait!” It’s Finn who yells, stopping me from leaving.

  Turning back, I give him my attention once more, “What? Anything else to add?”

  Brody laughs, a dark gurgling sound, “Have you talked to yer precious wan lately?”

  My heart drops at his tone, Andrea reacts immediately, gripping his throat tightly, “What do you have to do with Beverly right now?”

  Finn is still smiling, looking between me and Donatello, “A little birdy told us you three were staying at some fancy ritz and we had some men go and pay her a visit.”

  “Last we heard they were on the property already.” Brody squeezes out through Andrea’s grip.

  I pull out my phone, turning to leave as they cackle at my back. Raising my hand I hear two simultaneous shots, quickly silencing their goading. Donatello is immediately at my side as I dial Enrico’s number, both of us marching towards the SUV. I call three separate times with no response and once to Beverly’s number. Panic is started to settle in my chest. “Enrico isn’t answering. Andrea!” I yell for him as he jogs to catch up with us. “Have some made men that are in the area swing by my house. Donatello try and get a hold of whoever was on post today to see if they have seen or heard anything.”

  Jumping into the driver’s seat, the other two are barely inside before I’m peeling out of the parking lot, tires squealing. It will take a minimum of twenty-five minutes to get to the house if traffic is good. But I need to get there now.

  ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪

  Enrico is lying on the couch with a cloth to his head as we burst through the door, I bypass everyone, going straight to the bedroom. There’s a man shot in the head outside of the bathroom and another laying face down in his own blood by the overflowed tub. One of my men, Gabriel, steps into the room after me. “The tub was still running when we got up here…both men dead. Enrico was knocked out in the living room and three of the men servicing the gates were also…if I had to guess I’d say whoever did this used formaldehyde, based on the symptoms they’re having as they wake up.” At my nonresponse he keeps talking. “The two in here are part of the Daly crew, I can only assume they have Beverly.”

  I nod at his assumption and dismiss him with a wave of my hand. Just as he’s to the door I stop him, “Where’s Dylan? Where’s the dog?”

  “Oh, he was knocked out also. Leo moved him into a crate downstairs so he wouldn’t attack anyone when he woke up.” I nod again and he continues out the door.

 
My chest is tight with fear and a burning rage. How could I have let this happen? She should have been safe in our home. Smacking the wall next to me in a rare show of anger I close my eyes to compose myself before heading back down the stairs. Enrico struggles to his feet as I enter the room, clearly still sick. “Capo Famiglia, I failed you. I should have been able to prevent them from getting in, I..”

  I stop him with a raise of my hand. “I failed all of us by not making sure my home was safe, by allowing breaches in my ranks, by letting my brother have his way for too long. If this is anyone’s fault it is mine. Go home Enrico.” I turn and head towards the kitchen, ending our conversation. I need to find Dylan and check on him. Beverly would kill me if I let anything else happen to her dog. And she will be coming home. I know Gavino has her, after what the Daly Brother’s said it’s the only logical guess. I will be getting Cuore Mio back.

  Crouching beside Dylan’s crate I slowly pull back the blanket covering the front. He’s sitting, hunched, teeth flashing at me. Staring at him a solid minute, I take a deep breath and reach for the latch, “You better not fucking bite me Dylan. You and I are on the same side here.” I let the door swing open as I stand and step back and he slowly moves out, eyeing me warily, obviously feeling ill as the drug wears off. I grab a bowl from the cupboard and fill it with water, setting it in front of him as I slouch to the ground.

  My back is resting against the wood of a cabinet, my legs spread out. I desperately want to lose my shit, go door to door with a shotgun until I find Beverly…but that isn’t plausible and won’t help me find her. The fastest way to get her is to wait for Gavino to get sloppy, which he eventually will, and lead us right to him. He has to have some kind of trail we can follow for clues to where he’s heading. If there’s even a crumb of anything, I’ll find it. But I need to do it with a level head.

  Dylan hasn’t touched his water but he’s shifted to lay next to me on the floor, his paw just barely brushing my pant leg. He’s probably feeling the same sense of failure I am right about now; but if the dried blood on his lips suggests anything it’s that he was more successful in attempting to protect her than I was. I reach out to pet his head and he growls, so I drop my hand in my lap instead. Guess we aren’t quite bonding like I thought.

  Donatello steps in the kitchen, dark eyes taking in the scene before him. “Beverly is strong and smart. She will keep herself safe.” I know he’s saying it to reassure me, keep me from toppling the cliff I’m tottering from. When I don’t respond he comes and sits on the side not occupied by Dylan, mimicking my stance. “Beverly stabbed a man in the throat while wearing an evening dress and she most likely handled those men in your room by herself…I have faith that your wife can easily deal with whatever Gavino tries to throw her way.”

  I roll my head to the side to look at him. I appreciate his efforts but they are null. “We need to search all the warehouses Gavino controlled, his house, any other properties he has possession of. I doubt he is stupid enough to keep her in state but we might find something of use. All of his men need to be interrogated, any found of treason executed on the spot. All my personal men need to be questioned also, we need to find out how it was so easy for him to infiltrate the house.” I stand when I’m finished speaking and Dylan gets up with me, still looking wobbly.

  “When do you plan to start?” Donatello asks as he stands, eyeing Dylan.

  My eyes meet Andrea’s as he steps into the kitchen, “Now.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Staring at the wall, I’m doing everything in my power to pretend I’m alone and not being forced to spend time with Gavino. Despite my constant ignoring, rude remarks, and sneers he’s somehow convinced himself that we are the perfect couple. It’s been just over a week. Part of me, the foolish and hopeful part, was expecting Remy to barge into save me within the first two days. Logically I knew that wouldn’t happen, but it didn’t make the disappointment any less. I know he will eventually find me; I just pray it’s sooner than later. Gavino clearly doesn’t trust me as much as he pretends because he’s diligent about locking up his phone; I rarely see him with it and the times I have he’s been outside. He’s also started keeping the front and back door locked after I smashed my dinner plate over his head and sprinted into the woods.

  He’s currently stroking my knee through my leggings while he reads from a folder at the dining table. Glaring at him, I smack his hand away and scoot to the edge of my seat, resisting the intense urge to shove all of his papers onto the floor. “Keep your fucking hands off me Gavino. I’m married…to your BROTHER.”

  He chuckles and I clench my fists. I’d hit him but my split lip and bruised face serve as a reminder that he can easily overpower me. He has no qualms about ‘teaching me a lesson’. I’ve somehow managed to kill three men on my own but can’t seem to kill this fucker. Stacking his papers as I imagine slitting his throat, he carefully places them into the folder. “That can easily be remedied. I can have some divorce papers written up if you’d like.” He looks up after everything is nice and tidy, stupid smile on his face as he appraises me. Unable to hold back any longer, I rip his folder out of his hand and chuck it across the small kitchen, making a mess of everything he just organized. His hand quickly snaps up to pinch my cheeks tightly in his fingers as he forces my gaze. “What have I told you about your temper Beverly? You are a grown woman and you need to act like it.” Releasing my face, he runs his knuckles down my cheek and over my split lip, pressing just hard enough the healing skin cracks open. “Now clean up your mess.”

  I stare at him a moment; I wonder how long it’d take him to die if I crammed all the papers down his throat. Slowly dropping to my knees, I reach out for some of the papers nearest to me and scrunch them up in my palm, crushing them as much as possible.

  “Beverly.” His voice is icy, pebbling my skin with goosebumps in warning.

  Without looking at him I smooth the wrinkled papers in my lap then reach for more, carefully stacking them in my hands until they’re gathered and perfect. Shifting on my knees to face him, I smile up at him, holding them out for him to take. Deep seeded hate makes me grind my teeth painfully as he smiles at me with approval. Just before his fingers brush the edges of the stack, I yank it back and rip them all in half, squeezing them between my hands. “Fuck. You. Gavino.” The smack of his hand echoes in the room as it knocks me to the floor and I laugh, curling in on myself to protect my ribs as I cradle my burning cheek in my palm. So fucking worth it. He surprises me by pulling me up from the floor by my arm, tugging me behind him into the living room then tossing me onto the couch.

  “I don’t know what kind of nonsense Remy tolerated but I will not.” Watching him from my peripherals I see him leave the room, listen as he walks down the hall. I know without looking what he’s holding as he comes to stand in front of me and I close my eyes in silent rage. “If you want to act like a child, you’ll be treated like one. Turn over.” I pause long enough that he takes it upon himself to grip my hips and flip me, pulling my legs off the couch to sit on my knees while my upper body is pushed into the fabric of the couch. I feel the bite of the belt through my leggings and I fist the couch cushions, keeping my mouth clamped shut. He doles out two more hits as I fantasize about strangling him with his own belt. His palm smooths over the fabric of my leggings and I stiffen, hot angry tears slipping silently down my cheeks. “Il mio angelo triste, you could be happy here if you quit fighting me.”

  I feel him pull back so I stand, still facing the couch, and whisper angrily through clenched teeth, “Why the fuck am I here Gavino?” Spinning so we are toe to toe, I glare up at him, letting the hatred I feel paint my face, voice louder. “If you’re so determined to keep me here, then tell me everything. Give me a reason to not fight you. Give me a reason to want to stay.” I would never willing stay with this psychopath but if thinking so makes him give me any kind of information I’m willing to play the part.

  His eyes scan my face, tracking the leaking tears, b
efore meeting mine. “Remy has everything.” He leans closer at my frown and I stand my ground, staring at him until he continues. “He’s always been everyone’s favorite. Always had girls obsessing over him, men emulating him…had legitimate parents who wanted him.” He reaches out and wipes the tears off one cheek and I let him, not wanting to stop his bitter confession. “I worked just as hard, jumped through the same hoops, proved my worth just as he did. Yet I’m just another Capo while he’s Capo Famiglia. Being Remy’s brother is like being the moon to the sun…everyone basks in the sun’s glow, wakes up to it, plans their days around it; but they sleep when the moon rises; the few that stay awake are only looking at the stars, not paying attention to the moon, neither caring or aware of its importance.”

  He pauses as he wipes my other cheek, standing close enough I need to tilt my head back to look up at him. “I’m not naive enough to think I can take my brother’s place; the moon cannot replace the sun. But I can let him ruin himself, take away what he values most…” His fingers are running through the ends of my hair as he speaks, eyes locked on mine. “…it started as little things. Embezzling thousands here and there just to spite him. Then I started running drugs and helping with the local prostitution rings to run his name through the mud, dirty it up a bit. But I wasn’t getting the rise I wanted. Remy would wordlessly handle things; pretend I wasn’t a problem. So I stepped my game up and aimed my sights on something closer to his heart.” He trails his fingertips down my arms causing an involuntary shiver to run through my body. Leaning down he puts his lips on the shell of my ear, whispering, “You.”

  His statement sends goosebumps along my skin and I pull from his touch, backing into the edge of the couch as he smiles. “How did you get my brother involved?”

  If he’s surprised I knew he was working with the Daly Brother’s he doesn’t show it. Tracking the small steps I take to put extra space between us with his eyes. “Julian was easy enough to convince. A few threats to your life, some compromising pictures of you sent discretely to his phone, me being Remy’s brother, it all helped seal the deal. He wasn’t willing to risk you by telling Remy.” He takes a few big steps my way, closing off the space I made. “You seem to have that affect on people. We’re drawn to you like magnets, get stuck on all that is you. I spent months secretly watching you, falling for your little quirks and smart mouth, longing from the shadows to have you in my arms instead of my brothers.”