I leaned back in my seat, trying to have some patience as I let Antonio sate his desires. He needed to inflict torture. He needed it so he could be the man my auntie Vivianna needed. And with stark clarity, I understood that I wasn’t so different from him. It was all about balance. A balance you only found when the time was right.
And that time for me was now.
Uncle Antonio turned and grabbed his favorite knife, plunging it into the man’s chest and stomach. He flicked his wrist, cutting up and into his kidneys. He knew the human form better than most doctors. He knew what to hit when and what to miss. It was all about keeping them alive as long as possible and in as much pain as you could cause.
I blinked as Uncle Antonio held a Taser in his hand. When he’d first taught me all of those years ago, we hadn’t used that. Instead, we’d used a live wire. But a Taser was easier…and harsher. I grinned. This was always my favorite part.
He lunged forward, slamming the Taser inside the cut he’d made on his stomach, frying his insides just enough to have the man howling in pain.
His head lulled to the side, his eyes trying to focus on one single thing, and when he caught sight of me, he laughed, blood spurting from his mouth. “You have no idea what’s coming for you.” I narrowed my eyes on him. “You’re done.” Red poured like a river down his chest, the open wounds not slowing down as the blood drained from him.
“I’m done?” I stood, my chest heaving.
“Yeah.” He gurgled, his eyes closing. I stepped forward, and he snapped them back open. “You and your new wife.”
I saw red, the demon inside roaring to life and taking over as I reached for my gun. He hadn’t said a word, but now he wouldn’t shut up, just as his heart was giving out I extended my arm, pressing the gun to his head as Uncle Antonio stood with the bloody Taser, ready to give him another round of shocks.
“Speak,” I barked out at him.
“They’re…” He coughed, more blood than before splattering from him. “Coming for you.”
“Who?” I pressed the gun to his temple, needing an answer. I’d made enemies because of my name alone. There was always someone coming for me, but as he raised his head, his gaze meeting mine, he managed to croak out, “I’m FBI.”
My attention snapped to the men in the room, seeing all of their shocked faces. Even Uncle Antonio was confused. “Who fuckin’ vetted him?” I shouted.
“I told Dante to do it,” Christian said, his voice small. He knew he’d fucked up, but so had my brother. I tried to stay calm, but it was really goddamn hard when I had an FBI agent sitting in front of me, at least seventy percent dead.
“That true?” I asked Dante, cracking my neck side to side. His eyes widened. He knew he’d fucked up. The man who was meant to become my second-in-command hadn’t even done a background check on someone who had tried to break in.
“I…”
“End him,” I said, so calmly I shocked myself. Slowly, I stowed my gun away. “You fucked up. Now you fix it.” I waved to the man in front of me. “End him, then chop him up and get rid of him in the four corners of the state.” I stepped toward Dante. “I don’t want to see your goddamn face in my house until you learn how to be a real fuckin’ soldier.”
I’d just drawn the lines between Mafia family and blood. Blood was always meant to come first, but he’d fucked up, and it was my job to teach him a lesson. To show him how you acted when you were a soldier. You did the shitty jobs. You earned your stripes. I had to, and now he would too.
I spun around, not turning back to the shit show as the sound of a gun going off vibrated through the warehouse. He was right. They would come for me. The feds never left a man behind. They wouldn’t let this go, not now, not ever.
Dante had fucked up, but so had I. I’d let my guard down. I’d taken my eyes off the prize. But I wouldn’t again. I wouldn’t allow anyone to put my family at risk—to put Aida at risk.
CHAPTER 15
AIDA
“What do you mean I can’t come inside?” The shrill shout had me wincing as I walked through the foyer and to the living room. We’d finished redecorating a week ago. All of the furniture had been put together, and the walls had been painted a crisp off-white. Indoor plants and little trinkets I’d found around the house were scattered around, but my favorite thing was the hanging chair I’d found on the internet. I spent hours sitting in that chair every night, staring out of the window at the lit-up water feature. Memories, both good and bad, hung around it, but that was what I loved. Nothing in this world was perfect. The room was becoming my own little sanctuary, and the more I added to it, the more everyone in the mansion seemed to drift toward it.
“I’m sorry, Miss Veev. I’ve been instructed that no visitors are allowed past the gates,” I heard Mrs. Larson say through a speaker box near the front door.
I halted, frowning at it. I’d never seen that before. “Everything okay, Mrs. Larson?” I asked.
She jumped out of her skin, her hand flying to her chest. She panted, her face turning pale as she turned to face me. “You scared me!”
I made an “oops” face and headed toward her. “Sorry.” I chuckled. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
She pulled in a deep breath, trying to calm herself. “It’s okay, Aida.” She swiped her hand over her forehead. “I’ve been on edge since Mr. Beretta put us on lockdown.”
My lips spread into a grim line. “Me too.” My stomach rolled as I remembered him coming home and calling a family meeting. There was no negotiation. He was putting us on lockdown until whatever was happening was over. I didn’t want to admit that I kind of liked the fact none of us could leave. We were forced to be together. Ma was losing her mind being cooped up, but she’d found solace in cooking and baking. I was sure I’d put on ten pounds from her cannoli alone.
“Hello!” the shrill voice shouted through the speaker. “I demand you get Lorenzo.”
“Who’s that?” I asked Mrs. Larson, but when she just stared at me with wide eyes, I remembered what she’d called the woman. Veev. My anger mixed with apprehension, and for a second, I wondered if Lorenzo had asked her to come here. But that idea flew out of my head as fast as it appeared. There was no way he would have told her to go to the mansion, not after everything we’d promised each other. “I’ll handle it,” I told Mrs. Larson, pulling open the front door.
I sauntered down the drive and to the gate where she stood. Her eyes widened, shock slamming over her features, but it was gone in a flash, replaced with a smirk—the same one she’d worn the day she’d been laid out on Lorenzo’s desk as naked as the day she was born.
“Hi there,” I greeted, keeping at least five meters between us. “Can I help you with something?”
Her nostrils flared, her perfectly red-painted lips lifting into a sneer. “Be a good girl and fetch Lorenzo.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder, her long fingernails painted to match her lips.
I looked her up and down, taking in the tight, dark-blue dress that was stuck to her like a second skin. Her long legs were on display, and the straps for her heels wrapped around her ankles. “Can I ask what it’s regarding?” I tried to keep my rage tamped down—for now anyway.
“None of your business.” She raised her brow at me, making a shoo motion with her hand. “Run along.”
I laughed so hard that I threw my head back, my stomach cramping at the force. I bent forward, holding my waist, knowing I looked crazy, but not giving a single fuck.
“What’s so funny?” Veev asked, her shrill voice coming back in full force.
My laughter waned to chuckles as I tried to get ahold of myself. “You.” I wiped the tears falling from my eyes and met her stare. “You are.”
“What—”
I lunged forward, wrapping my hands around the bars on the gates, my emotions flipping so fast I made myself dizzy. “It’s goddamn hilarious that you would turn up at my home, demanding that I get my husband for you.” I narrowed my eyes, showing her
I wasn’t fucking around now. This wasn’t her territory. It never had been.
Her fake lashes fluttered as she blinked, and I knew if this gate wasn’t between us, I would have ripped them off her eyes. “You don’t belong here.” I slowly loosened the bars from my grip, counting to ten in my head so I could gain my control back. “Leave.”
She snorted. “I doubt your husband would agree with that.”
“My husband is being taken care of by his wife. Your whoring skills are no longer of use.” I winked at her, pulling my lips up into a sweet smile. “Come here again, and I’ll shoot you myself.” I stepped back, lifting my hand in a wave. “Bye now.”
I spun around, pushed my shoulders back, and sauntered up the driveway. Lorenzo stood in the doorway, his face a mixture of anger and appreciation. “You shouldn’t have gone down there.”
I shrugged, grabbing his shirt and yanking him inside. “I don’t care.” I stared up at him, giving him the same stare I gave her. “If I catch her here again, not only will I shoot her, I’ll also chop your cock off.” His eyes flared with anger. “Am I understood?”
He stared at me, his expression filtering from frustration to—
“I wanna fuck you so hard right now,” he ground out, stepping toward me and not stopping until my back was pressed against the wall.
I bit down on my bottom lip as I trailed my hand down his chest and to his erection. “What are you waiting for?”
He slammed his hands on the wall above my head, caging me in. I gripped his cock, watching as his head tipped back, and a groan vibrated from the back of his throat. “You’ll be the goddamn death of me.”
“I’m okay with that.” I lifted up onto my tiptoes, whispering against his lips, “Now fuck me.” I paused. “Hard.”
LORENZO
My focus was split, half listening to Aida as she spoke to Ma at the dining table, and half listening to Christian, who sat next to Sofia. From the moment I’d walked out of the warehouse two weeks ago, I’d put the entire house on lockdown. Those closest to me had to stay in the house, only going out if absolutely necessary, and only when they were surrounded by protection. I wasn’t taking any chances, not when it came to my inner circle.
Uncle Alonzo and Uncle Antonio had taken their wives away on what they thought were vacations, and Dante was trying to make amends for the mess he’d created by staying in the city in my old apartment. I’d demanded Christian and Mateo move into the mansion, at least until I felt the dust had settled.
Nothing had outwardly happened—unless you counted Veev turning up out of the blue. Aida had schooled her in minutes, and even though I was mad as hell at her for going down to the gates without telling anyone, I couldn’t deny it was hot as fuck watching her take charge of Veev. She’d warned her to stay away, but she’d also warned me, too. I didn’t take people telling me what to do lightly, but when it came from Aida, I knew to fuckin’ listen.
Happy wife, happy life, right?
“How is your brother?” Ma asked, bringing me out of my thoughts and crash-landing back into the here and now. Ma’s gaze fixed on me. She knew better than anyone at this table that I wouldn’t tell her what had caused me to close ranks, but she also understood it was bad enough for me to do it. My gut told me to be on guard even if people thought I shouldn’t be.
“He’s fine.” All conversation stopped as I spoke, everyone listening intently for a tidbit of information. They wouldn’t get it, though. I hadn’t even told The Enterprise what had happened. It was none of their business. I kept things in-house because I had the tools to fix whatever came my way. I didn’t need people involved, telling me how to handle my own goddamn business.
“He’ll be home soon,” I said, leaning back in my seat. I’d barely eaten anything the last couple of days, my appetite fading away, and it frustrated the hell out of me. I never reacted like this, but something was different this time.
My gaze slid to Aida, who was frowning at me. He’d mentioned her. He’d threatened that they were coming for her. And I wondered what she would do, how she would react. I honestly had no idea. All I had was hope. Hope that she wouldn’t turn her back on me. Hope that she wouldn’t force me to do something I didn’t want to do.
I blew out a frustrated breath, hating that my mind went there. I couldn’t think about it, not now, not after we’d come this far. I wanted her here with me, at my side, fighting my battles with me, not against me. But I couldn’t quiet the small voice in my head that told me she was too good for me—too good for this life.
Her hand reached out, her gaze not moving from mine for even the briefest of seconds. “You okay?” she asked.
The question took me by surprise. No one had ever asked me that, and as I met her stare, searching her eyes for something, I found myself shaking my head no. I wasn’t okay. I wouldn’t be okay until I got my house in order. I wouldn’t be okay until I knew she was safe.
“Lorenzo.” She stood, ignoring everyone at the table as she moved toward me. She was within arm's reach, just centimeters from me, when a blast outside shook the house. I flew out of my seat, grabbing her around the waist and shoving her behind me.
Christian did the same, pushing Sofia toward Aida, and Mateo flung himself in front of Ma. Then together, we moved toward the dining-room door, but we weren’t fast enough. Hordes of uniformed agents barreled inside, their guns raised, shouting for us to put our hands in the air.
Ma started shouting in Italian, and Sofia cried out as one of the officers pushed her to the ground and onto her knees. My hands were raised, just like Christian’s and Mateo’s. We knew how to handle raids like this, but more importantly, we knew they’d never find anything, so we cooperated because the sooner we did, the quicker they would be gone.
“Get off of me!” Aida shouted, and I turned just in time to see her pushing back against a woman wearing a bulletproof vest with the letters FBI written in white on the front.
“Get down, Lorenzo Beretta,” a male agent barked at me. This wasn’t anything new to me, and because I knew there was no way they had anything against me, I got down to my knees, keeping my attention focused on Aida. Look at me, I silently told her, but she was too busy staring the female agent down. Her hands were in the air, but she refused to get down on her knees. I smirked, thinking back to two nights ago when she’d done just that for me.
The butt of a gun slammed into the side of my face, and my world spun for a fraction of a second before my head dropped down. “Fuck,” I gritted out, trying to hold my anger in.
“You were resisting,” the agent said, and when I looked up at him, he winked at me. “That’ll leave a bruise.”
“You piece of shit!” Aida shouted, diving for me, but the woman caught her, shoving her to the ground on her stomach and slapping a pair of cuffs on her. Only then did Aida look at me, eyes wide, her face pale.
“You’re under arrest,” the female agent told her, reading her rights. I cursed silently, both at the throbbing pain in my face and the fact that Aida hadn’t done what they told her to do. I should have explained what to do when being faced with any kind of law enforcement, but I doubt it would have made a difference. She was sweet, kind, sexy, but my favorite was feisty as fuck.
“We have a warrant to search the premises,” the agent who’d jammed the butt of his gun into my face said, throwing a piece of paper on the floor in front of me.
I didn’t even acknowledge it as I stared up at him. “Go right ahead.” I paused, my lips lifting into a smirk. “You won’t find anything.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” He looked at the agent who held Aida pinned to the ground. “Take her down to headquarters.”
“No,” I growled, starting to stand. “You’re not taking her anywhere.”
“Yeah?” the male agent asked, stepping closer to me. His vest was the same as the woman’s, but it had an extra name badge. Agent Morgan. I stowed that name away, knowing I’d be finding out exactly who he was when they were done here.
“Go ahead, asshole. Resist her arrest and see where it lands you.”
The sound of clattering came from the kitchen, and I pulled in a deep breath, knowing they would go through every inch of the house with a fine-tooth comb—the places they could see anyway.
I turned my head, just enough to spot the agent lifting Aida from the floor, and silently tried to tell her it would be okay. However much I’d tried to keep business away from her, she knew things that could go against me. Time would tell whose side she’d be on, but deep down, I already knew she wouldn’t betray me. She was in this with me. Right?
CHAPTER 16
AIDA
The farther away from the house we drove, the more my fight drained away. The buzzing in my ears got louder, my breaths coming faster, and my hands started to tingle—the latter because of the cuffs.
The blacked-out SUV—not too dissimilar to the one Mateo drove—whizzed through the streets and toward the city. I had no idea where they were taking me, but I was relieved it was somewhere I knew. At least then I’d be able to find my way back if they ever let me go. I groaned as I looked down at my lap. I was only dressed in a pair of leggings, some slides, and one of Lorenzo’s T-shirts, sans my bra. I knew that not wearing a bra inside the house would bite me in the ass.
Tires screeched to a halt as we took a turn too fast, and the SUV wobbled. Whoever was driving was acting as though they were being chased, and maybe they were. Lorenzo said he had eyes everywhere, but somehow, deep down, I knew he’d have no idea where they were taking me either.
Part of me wished I would have done as the rest of the family had—stayed relatively quiet and did what the FBI told us to do—but my instincts when I’d seen that asshole slam his gun into Lorenzo’s face had kicked in. And now, here I was, in the back of an SUV with my wrists cuffed.
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