To save my twin, who planted all of the evidence in my room then waited for her marks to go away, along with any proof I would have, before tipping off the police to everything. Her performance was beautiful. Crying her crocodile tears as she spoke of her love for me but how she was unable to cover for me anymore because she was in constant fear of her own life. I remember how stunned I was, my mind too overwhelmed to understand what was happening. My sister, being the superior bitch that she was, came to see me once and only once. She couldn’t help but brag. I was taken to a room with no cameras or listening devices where she proceeded to tell me that I had gotten off lucky. That she and Enzo had planned to kill me and Nero, along with the others, but stepdaddy and mommy dearest had ruined their plan by walking in on her and Enzo having a little fun in the guest house. I had gagged as I realized what she was talking about. Smiling at my discomfort, she proceeded to tell me all the disgusting thing that she and Enzo had done together. When she was finished she got up smiling, telling me not to worry. She and Enzo had adjusted their plans and soon Nero would join their mother. With a final little laugh and a wave of her fingers, my twin left.
It had all been a farce. It was all about the money. The inheritance. The insurance policies. The power. Everything had been my mother’s and stepfather’s. Now it was theirs. Caterina and Enzo couldn’t touch anything while my mother and stepfather were alive, so they had to get rid of them and stupid me had been the patsy. Luckily my grandmother Rose and brother Nero had seen through them or I’d still be rotting in prison and they would have joined the rest of our family in death. Grams couldn’t get me out of the charges but she could have me declared insane and committed until I was eighteen, which she did. It had cost her millions in bribes. She had me committed to a cushy hospital that she could control and we made our plans. My mother’s money was lost to me. I couldn’t profit from my crime but my grandmother’s fortune was another story. Gram’s fortune had been split between Nero and me. Grams went so far as to have the money placed in my name while I was still in the psych ward, and it was not an amount to be trifled with. I knew damn well that Caterina and Enzo planned to get their hands on the money by killing grams, and so did she.
I wish I could have seen their faces when Grams announced that her murdering insane granddaughter Victoria was now in possession of part of one of the largest personal fortunes in the world. Grams was never stupid. She trusted no one. She knew that lawyers could be bought and wills could disappear. By doing what she did she made sure that Enzo and Catrina knew that even if they succeeded in killing her they’d still get nothing. She went so far as to let them know that should they somehow succeed in killing me the only thing that they would inherit was a contract on their lives. Yeah, got to love Grams, she was new money. The type of new money that understood what had really been behind the earning of it. You earned this type of money not with smiles and speeches of greatness but with backroom deals in the day and bloody murders in the night.
The screen in front of me switched from the murder of the girl hanging behind me to my sister sitting down in my once favorite chair, smiling at me. As if she had been waiting for me to focus on her, she began to speak.
“Hey, Tori, long time no see, big sis. Sorry that I haven’t visited but the loony house wasn’t on my list of things to do. Now I know what you’re going to say. It’s been years since you’ve been there but I’ve still been busy. I’ve been busy mourning for our brother Enzo. You see, he and most of my power and fortune were stolen from me. I miss him so much. He was the only one who truly understood me. I hope that you enjoyed the presents I sent you. The things on those discs were some of the fondest memories that Enzo and I had, so I wanted to share them with you. I wanted to show you the beauty of what Enzo and I had done. It was art. In that spirit I hope that you enjoy the present I left you.”
I watched as she slid her hand down Neecey’s body lovingly. “She had been one of my favorites. No matter what you did to her she never complained. Not a whimper. Especially when I would put her little girl in a room with a one-way mirror. How she would watch her little girl play with the toys that she could never afford while we played with her. You know I really think that she enjoyed us beating her on those days. I think she really felt she deserved it.”
Jesus, Caterina was crazier than ever. Just completely insane. Watching her stand up and lick the drying blood from the dead girl’s breast I looked around wildly, unable to watch. How the hell could Nero and I be related to her and Enzo? Shuddering in ecstasy, Caterina finally removed her lips from Neecey’s breast and sat back down.
“I have to admit I thought that it was hysterical that she hadn’t recognized you as me. I know that I always wore a little mask during our playtime but still you’d think she would have known. I think it’s like I always said, I never thought we were that identical. Even Enzo always said that I was the prettier of the two of us.”
She fluffed her hair and started primping.
“Well, anyway, I guess I better get this moving. I mean I don’t want to be here when you arrive. I figured with what I had slipped into your drink last night at the bar you won’t be waking up till late today but let’s not take the chance. So let us lay our cards on the table, shall we. I know that you’re still pissed for those years you had to do for Mom’s death, but I suggest you let it go. You see I recorded my little fun with Neecey here. Now I know what you’re going to say—I didn’t do it blah, blah, but as you know they convicted you once. I don’t think it will be any harder for them to do it a second time. Oh, and in case you think that you can use this disc as proof of your innocence think again. It’s set to erase as soon as it stops. So sorry.
“As for Angelica Gagliardi, don’t plan on warning her because again it’s not going to go well for you. That whore tried to steal Enzo from me and then finally killed him when he told her that he chose me. That whore and the rest of them will all pay for taking Enzo from me. But here’s the thing, big sis. I can’t trust you not to go all noble and not sacrifice yourself but I can’t kill you because of Gram’s pesky contract, so I’ll give you a test.”
She clapped her hands together like a kid that had just got a present.
“Now you have until midnight to get rid of Neecey’s body and clean this place up spick and span or I’ll shoot Maria in the face. Oh I know you think I’m bluffing but have you seen your cell phone today. No? Well it’s right here with me. I borrowed it last night in the bathroom and made a little play date with her for tonight as an apology for my behavior at the bar. I’ll know if you call. Just like I’ll know if you don’t take care of this problem. Now I want you to remember something and remember it well. If you open your mouth about me or any of this it won’t be just you who suffers. Oh and so you don’t think I’m totally heartless I picked up everything you’re going to need to get the job done. Well I guess that’s it for now. I’ve got to get going, bye.”
The screen went blank.
Looking up numbly at the clock I saw that it was almost nine. I doubted I could clean this all up in time but I had to try. I had to because for now there was no other choice. After this was done and Maria was safe I could do what I should have done a long time ago. I’d let my sister pay for her crimes.
Chapter 11
Tori finally made an appearance. I had spent all day watching her dorm and it paid off. I had planned just to grab her when she got to her car but something stopped me. I could see she was nervous and she should be. Did she really think that I wouldn’t notice? Following her off campus to an apartment building I parked my car, sat and watched the door she entered. At about eleven the door to the apartment opened and she came out, carefully looking around. Finally she rushed off and retrieved her car. She pulled it as close as she could to her ground floor apartment door, popped the trunk lid and got out. Within minutes I watched her struggle as she dragged out a large carpet and shoved it into her trunk before closing it gently. She then rushed back into her apartment to lock up
and got in the car and drove off.
I followed her carefully, staying well back. She left behind civilization as quickly as she could, weaving through back roads into the dark night where not a hint of a streetlight had ever touched its gloomy murk. I turned off my headlights and followed her, using only her taillights as a guide. Just when I thought that I was going to go off the road into a ditch the bitch finally stopped, got out, rushed to her trunk and threw it open wide. Under the dim light of the trunk I could barely make her out as she struggled to pull out the rug that she had placed in there earlier.
She finally got it onto the ground and fell to her knees next to it with her head bowed. Christ, it almost looked like she was praying over it before she rolled it forward and pushed it into the swampy marsh. She stared at it for long moments before she mechanically closed her trunk, got back into the car and drove away.
Once I was sure that she was gone, I turned on my headlights and drove up to the spot that she had just occupied. I walked over to the edge of the marsh. The pattern of the rug was easy to see, even in the murky water. I stepped in, uncaring of my clothes, pulled my knife from my pocket and began to cut. As soon as I heard the crunch of the plastic I knew what I had found. Ripping it apart, I found a face that looked familiar but I couldn’t place it. The obvious beating it had taken made it even harder. I quickly took a few pictures with my cell phone before wrapping the body up, weighing it down and pushing it deeper into the murk so it wouldn’t be found.
Back in my car I dialed the cell phone. Chris picked up on the first ring. “Hey, man, what’s up?”
“I want you and Marcus to meet me at the apartment,” I told him, not in the mood for politeness.
“Can it wait an hour? I’m out with Maria and Tori,” Chris replied.
What the fuck? That wasn’t possible. I must have misheard him. “What do you mean you’re with Tori? Tori who?” I asked.
“Fuck man, are you drunk? Tori Smith.” Chris chuckled like I was joking.
What the hell was going on? “Chris, do not leave that bitch alone with Maria even for a second. I don’t care if you have to follow her into the bathroom; do not leave her alone. Make up an excuse and I don’t care what it is, but get Maria away from her.”
“What the fuck’s going on, Dom? Is Maria in danger?”
“I don’t know, but I’m not taking a chance. I want you to text me as soon as you’ve dropped Maria off at my father’s house so I know she’s safe. Then get your ass back to the apartment.” I said hitting the end button.
What the fuck was going on? If Maria’s with Tori then who the fuck did I just follow? I headed to my apartment. The guys and I were going to be taking a trip tonight and break into that apartment. I needed to find out what the hell this was before I brought Lucca in on it.
As if he knew that I was thinking about him, my phone started to ring. “Yeah?”
“Dom, we’ve got a problem. I can’t talk about it over the phone. Come to the club now.” Lucca’s tone told me that arguing with him was not going to happen.
“I’ll be there in twenty.”
I sped through the dark roads until the lights of the city started to peek through. It took me almost an hour to get there. I parked and hurried in. The blast of the music was loud after the silence of the night. Pushing my way through the packed club to the backroom that held the offices, I passed quite a few of our guys. Something big must have happened. The front office was full, and when I was let in I could see Lucca sitting at the desk in the back office.
Lucca waved me in so I went straight to a seat in front of desk. I didn’t have long to wait. “Three of the club’s girls are missing.” Staying silent I waited for him to continue. “All three were girls that we pulled out of Enzo Genovese’s clubs. The same girls that Caterina Genovese had been in here speaking with.”
Fuck me, now I knew where I had seen that girl before. Right here in the club.
“Over the last few months other woman have been disappearing—all the same M.O. Their bodies are usually found within a few weeks, tortured and abused. All of them from the Genovese stable.” He read the look on my face. “It was my call not to tell you.”
“Why?”
Lucca leaned back in his chair his jaw set hard. “It doesn’t matter. I’m telling you now.”
I knew damn well why he hadn’t told me. He hadn’t told me because he knew I’d never let him use Maria as bait to draw the murdering cunt in. I got up and walked out of the office. It was either that, or slam my fist into his face. No one tried to stop me as I left. In my car I slammed my hand into the steering wheel before throwing the car into drive and sped off. Fucking motherfucker. How could he do this? Lucca knew. He fucking knew what a psychopath the Genovese bitch was and he still used his own blood as bait.
So lost was I in my rage that when I parked my car it took me a moment to realize where I was. Out my windshield I was staring at the same apartment that I had watched the bitch drag the body out of just hours before. Grabbing my phone off the passenger seat I texted the address to Chris and Marcus to meet me here. When I got out of my car I was pleased to see that there was no one around. Good. That would make what I was about to do so much easier. Going to the door I knocked softly before stepping to the side so she couldn’t see me. I heard a hesitant “who’s there?” Then the sound of a chain clicking in place before she unlocked the door to see out. As the last lock unclicked and the door began to open I struck. Slamming my shoulder into the door, broke the chain and threw her back into a heap on the floor. I quickly closed and locked the door before she could do more than blink. Grabbing her arm I pulled her up enough to backhand her. Dragging her dazed body with me I picked up a discarded rope, tightening my grip on her painfully as the thoughts of what she just used that rope for tore through my head. I pulled a kitchen chair into the living room and tied her to it, tearing off a piece of duct tape and slammed it over her mouth.
Terror filled her eyes. Good. Leaning down I gripped her hair and sharply tugged her head so that she was looking into my eyes. “You don’t make a fucking sound. You don’t move a fucking muscle or the sick shit you and your brother have done will be a joke compared to what I do to you,” I said coldly, spitting in her face before releasing her hair. Afraid that I’d kill her before I could get the answers I needed, I went toward the bedrooms. When I opened the door I stopped dead in my tracks, stunned at what I was seeing. The place was a serial killer’s dream.
Pictures filled the walls. Angie’s family, my family, friends, names, dates, places, and more. I picked up a discarded file with Maria’s name on it and found class schedules, pictures of her out shopping, notes on her likes and dislikes. This fucking cunt had someone following us for well over a year and we hadn’t even suspected. I dropped the papers like they burned and went to the DVD player that had piles of discs next to it. Picking up one marked Angelica age seventeen I put it in. At first there was just a white screen until it zoomed out. What I thought was a white screen was a close-up of a small, untouched patch of her skin. In horror I watched the screen as a naked, bloody Angie, hung from the ceiling by a hook set between her bound hands, looked at someone just out of the camera’s view. The shit that came next was so disgusting that I had to turn away. Jesus Christ, did Lucca know what was really on these tapes? There was no way, because if he had he would beat that bitch in the other room to death before ever asking her a question.
Unable to take it anymore, I picked up the DVD player and slammed it into the TV. I went back into the living room, not stopping until I had that bitch’s neck between my hands. I think I must have blacked out, because the next thing I knew Marcus had me pinned to the floor while Chris was checking to make sure that the cunt is still breathing. I don’t know why the fuck he was checking. I could hear her gasps from here.
I took a deep breath and tried to relax my body, but it was almost impossible. The shit I just saw made me want to hurt her so bad I could taste it in my mouth. “Get off of
me,” I growled at Marcus, once I knew I wouldn’t put a bullet in her head. Nah, that type of death was too good for her. He must have realized that this was as calm as I was going to get because he got off but kept a tight eye on me like he was afraid I was gonna lunge at her. Which I couldn’t say wasn’t a possibility. Getting to my feet I walked away from them without another word going straight into the bathroom. I needed a minute to collect my shit. Splashing cold water on my face I bent over the sink and gripped it so hard I was afraid that I was going to leave an impression. Taking a deep breath I looked up into the mirror and was pissed at what I saw. The cool charming guy that I showed the world was gone and in its place was the vengeful monster that I hid. I pounded my fist against the mirror, trying to rein back in what had been released, but nothing could do that. Grabbing a towel I wrapped my bloody knuckles and went back out needing answers.
The fucking cunt had the nerve to flinch in fear when she saw me. It was a joke. After the shit that she all but begged me to do to her last night she was acting like a timid mouse. This sick fucking cunt probably sat there playing with herself as she watched the sick shit her brother had done.
Walking up to her I gripped her hair using it to pull her to her feet. “Now Caterina, don’t act like you’re afraid. We all know that there’s nothing that you like better than a little pain.” Grabbing her tit I squeezed it tightly, snorting at the whimper that came through the tape. “Don’t act like that doesn’t turn you on. Last night you couldn’t get enough. The more painful the better for you, right? That’s how you like it.”
She shook her head violently and pulled against the tight grip I had on her hair. This fucking cunt thought to lie to me. After everything that I’d seen, she thought to lie to me. I snapped. “You fucking lying cunt, you’re going to tell the truth. No matter what I ask you you’re going to tell the truth!” I screamed into her face.
Dominic (The Family Book 2) Page 5
