Plain Jane and the Mafia Beast

by Sam Crescent

  “That’s Annette. She’s Galiza’s wife,” Shauna said. “My sister.”

  “I don’t get why you can always keep defending him. He’s a monster who’ll burn in hell.”

  “You can stop spilling your vile curses right now, dear sister. We wouldn’t all be here if it wasn’t for Vincenzo. You should be spitting that nonsense at your son. The one that caused all this mess. You spent way too long babying him to make him believe he was something special, and now we all know what he’s capable of. He wanted to kill Antonio, take his place, murder him.”

  “No, I won’t believe it. My Rafe is not capable of such nastiness. He’s special. His father spills lies to have me turn against him.”

  “Forgive my sister, she’s a little … different. You’re safe here though. Galiza keeps her under control. He has no choice. Before they left, he told us what happened. Until then, it had been a secret. Rafe was never a good boy. Always doing bad things, but she considered him her angel. How wrong she was.”

  Washing her hands, Arika got introduced to the art of making bread, every now and then seeing Galiza’s wife spitting and cursing as she drank the entire bottle of whiskey. After an hour or two, she passed out, and the conversation between the women picked up again, acting as if nothing had happened. This was the life she’d have to get used to.

  ****

  “Well, if it’s not dear old Daddy, his fucking minion, and my brother come to save the day. I see you’re still alive,” Rafe said.

  He was tied to a chair, waiting for what was coming to him.

  Vincenzo stayed back as Galiza approached his young son. Antonio’s arms were folded as if trying to control himself so he didn’t strike back.

  “Shut your fucking mouth,” Galiza said.

  “Oh, Daddy’s going all macho, playing the role of who is boss.”

  “You didn’t think you could plot to kill me, take out your brother, bring back the Vitale scum, and get away with it.”

  “Oh, I planned to bring war back to the streets, to have a little fun before it was over. Tell me, Dad, how are you going to tell Mom about my demise, huh? You’re going to let her know how you chained me up like a dog?”

  “You’re not being chained up like a dog,” Vincenzo said. “We let them roam free.”

  “Ah, the little bitch speaks,” Rafe said. “The piece of shit that stopped my evil plan. Tsk, tsk, tsk. I could have turned you into a god.”

  “No, you couldn’t. I don’t work for weak men.”

  Rafe glared at him.

  “We want to know everything you’ve told the Vitale clan.”

  “I’ve got nothing to say.” He spat at his father, to which Galiza struck out at him.

  Rafe burst out laughing.

  “Vincenzo, get started,” Galiza said, stepping back.

  Still, Rafe was laughing.

  Daniel brought over his tool kit and placed it near him.

  To start, Vincenzo didn’t use any tools other than his fists, drawing blood as he wiped the smirk off Rafe’s face. The fucker wasn’t laughing any longer now.

  When the time came for him to start cutting, he made a few slashes against his wrists, watching him bleed a bit before Rafe told them everything they needed to know. That he’d spoken with the father of the Vitale clan, how they intended to rule together, and also the agreements he had in place. Considering the shitstorm he’d created, Rafe hadn’t done so much to change their deals, just attempting to divert power to himself when the time was up.

  Vincenzo held the gun in his hand, staring at Galiza to give the final order.

  “Antonio,” Galiza said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Deal with this traitor the way we know how.”

  “What will you tell Mother?” Rafe asked, gasping. The cockiness was gone, the pain clear in his voice.

  “I’ll tell her that it’s not a woman’s place to ask questions and to get the fuck on with taking care of the rest of our kids,” Galiza said. “You tried to kill your brother, to bring down the Galiza family, to bring more power to our enemies, and the cost of that is death. Antonio, as he attempted to kill you, you may do this.”

  Vincenzo watched as Antonio raised the gun and shot Rafe in the head three times.

  This problem was no more.

  Now, to deal with the Vitale problem, and then move on.

  ****

  Later that night, Arika flicked through the pages of the book beside Vincenzo’s bed. It was a cookbook and staring at food now made her nervous. She’d enjoyed a large bowl of soup and bread before coming up to get ready for bed. Aunt Shauna was one hell of a strong woman. She’d put her sister to bed and kept all the women in line.

  Running fingers through her hair, Arika got up from her bed and moved toward the window. Vincenzo’s room looked out over the backyard. She saw several guards walking the grounds.

  This life, it seemed so scary and yet full of family. She was in no doubt that it was filled with ugliness, death, and pain. She’d seen a part of that when they took Rachel’s life, and of course when she got shot.

  She wondered how Vincenzo was. How he was feeling. What he was doing.

  Staring across the yard, she tensed as she heard the door open, and there Vincenzo stood, only he wasn’t happy.

  Arika stayed near the window as he came into the bedroom, shutting the door.

  “You’re still here,” he said.

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “I figured Annette would have pushed you away if given the chance.”

  “Shauna wouldn’t let her.” She took a step toward him and saw blood on his shirt and the devastation on his face. “What’s going on, Vincenzo?”

  “We lost a few men tonight. Daniel was one of them.”

  “Oh, no,” she said, moving up to him.

  She threw her arms around him, and he held her tightly. Closing her eyes, she felt his pain and grief, even as he tried to hide it. “I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”

  “I didn’t even like him most of the time, but he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve to die. He was a good man. A shit shot, but a good man.”

  “What will happen?”

  “He didn’t have any family. We’ll bury him as the soldier he was for his loyalty. He didn’t die slowly. It was quick.”

  “What happened?”

  “We went into Vitale land, and as we were negotiating with the son, the father decided to take us out. Rafe had warned him what was going on. We were not prepared. We lost a lot of men tonight. Galiza was shot, but it was a mere flesh wound. It’ll be okay.”

  She cupped his face. “Were you hurt?”

  “No.”

  “Then I’m happy.” She pressed a kiss to his lips, but he pulled away. “Vincenzo?”

  “I would understand if you wouldn’t want any part of this life. If you’d like me to give you a clean break. I can do this. I can make sure no one else will find you. That you can live your life far away from me.”

  Tears filled her eyes, and she shook her head. “This isn’t a proposal.”

  “No, I’m offering to set you free.”

  “Then keep it because I don’t want any part of it. You can think and be what you like, but it doesn’t change the fact that I love you, Vincenzo. I know this life isn’t how I imagined. I tried living without you, but I can’t. I don’t want to. So I’ll take the bad with the good. Isn’t that all marriages?”

  “You want to be with me?”

  “Well, you keep telling me that I’m going to marry you, but your proposals need a lot of work.”

  He cupped her face, slamming his lips down on hers. “I love you, Arika. I love you more than anything else in the world, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, loving you, taking care of you. Please, marry me.”

  “Yes. Seeing as you asked so nicely.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he picked her up, carrying her through to the shower. She didn’t ask any questions, kissing hi
m back with a passion.

  There were always sacrifices to be made in this life. He was hers, and she would gladly go to the ends of the earth to be with him, to keep him close, to love him. She pushed his clothes off his body, and as they stepped into the shower, she wrapped her legs around his waist, crying out as he filled her, taking the pleasure he needed from her body.

  She moaned with each thrust of his cock, aching for more, wanting him more than anything else.

  This wasn’t the life she’d imagined, nor was being his wife, but it would be the life she embraced for him. To everyone else, he was a killer, the mafia’s personal beast, but to her, he was everything. They saw past each other’s flaws, and just saw each other, and for her that was more than enough.

  Epilogue

  Five years later

  Vincenzo looked out into the yard, and his breath was absolutely taken from him. Arika walked across the lawn wearing the white summer dress that so much reminded him of their wedding day. Even though she’d wanted a small wedding, Galiza wouldn’t allow that. So they’d had a huge wedding, involving family, friends, and of course the Vitale to show their new alliance to the leader.

  The day itself had been a bit of blur, getting to the church and waiting for Arika to arrive. When she spoke, everything was in focus. All he saw was the woman he loved, and the rest of the world fell away. He spoke his vows to her, promising her his life, his everything, and she offered him the same. They’d come together against all odds, and now, five years later, he watched his heavily pregnant wife, walking across their lawn with his son and his daughter.

  Daniel and Rachel.

  He’d wanted to name his son after the friend he didn’t even realize he had.

  Sipping his coffee, he left the kitchen, and stood out onto the patio.

  “Daddy!” His children’s squeals of delight as they charged toward him were worth every single late night with them.

  Arika placed a hand on her stomach. “Even this one got a kick out of that.”

  He held both his kids, and placed a hand to her stomach, touching his baby, feeling her kick.

  “She’s a little fighter. Just like her mother.”

  Letting go of her stomach, he cupped her cheek and brought her close. “I love you so damn much,” he said, slamming his lips down on hers.

  She moaned as their babies groaned and ran off onto the lawn, skipping and dancing as they went.

  “You’ve made me the happiest man alive,” he said. “Do you have any regrets?”

  “None at all. You?”

  “What can I have regret about when you’ve given me a family, a place in this world, and of course, a reason to keep on fighting?” Not only did they have their family, but Arika had completed her college degree and also ran a foster home for children. Galiza had been more than happy to fund it as he knew it was special to the two of them, and over the years they had showed their loyalty to him.

  With his hands on her stomach, Vincenzo kissed her neck, watching their children play. This was what he always wanted. He’d simply had to wait for the right woman, and Arika was that woman. In the person everyone had overlooked, he’d seen his soulmate.

  The End

  www.samcrescent.com

  Other Books by Sam Crescent:

  www.evernightpublishing.com/sam-crescent

  If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:

  Hawk by Lynn Burke

  Taken by the Kingpin by Winter Sloan

  Cardinal’s Sins by Mackenzie Williams

  BONUS SAMPLE CHAPTER

  AXTON

  Four Kings Empire, 1

  Sam Crescent

  Copyright © 2018

  Chapter One

  “Carla, come on, pick up your damn phone.” Taylor Keane glared down at her cell phone, hoping that her best friend would pick up. When it went straight to voicemail, she clicked “end call.” The lake was completely crowded, a bonfire blazing to keep them warm. The cold winter’s night was not enough to stop her fellow peers from fighting.

  She avoided high school parties.

  The truth was, she avoided every single damn party. There was no point coming here as most people just wanted to get drunk, have sex, and talk about who was screwing whom.

  As she glanced around the bonfire, the music was so loud that she couldn’t even hear herself think. Each crowd was so clichéd that it wasn’t even funny. The jocks, the nerds, the druggies, the musicians. She glanced across to the left, and there were also “the four kings.” That was what they were known as. The four guys that came from the richest, most powerful families in King’s Ridge, hence their name, the four kings. Axton Farris. Romeo Delacorte. Karson Cross. Easton Long.

  If anyone messed with them in any way, shit happened.

  It was the way of life at her school.

  Avoiding them was the only way to survive.

  She’d seen what happened to anyone who came up against them and lost. They ended up having to leave King’s Ridge for good. Those four families owned the town, the school, everything.

  They knew it as well.

  They did what they wanted. None of the teachers possessed any real control.

  That in itself was the illusion.

  Carla had been fascinated by them all of their lives, watching them from afar. Taylor had never seen anything interesting about them. Carla had wanted to be part of their crowd. She came from a family that was not wealthy, and Taylor had heard Carla’s parents many times arguing about money. At times, she didn’t think it was about being in the popular crowd. It was about the money, the wealth, the income, that life that was out of her reach. Whereas Taylor, she didn’t see the benefit of it.

  The four kings used their popularity to get what they wanted and their names to keep everyone off their back. Rumors were always rife around them.

  Their treatment of women and girls annoyed her as well.

  They treated them like meat, something to use and throw away once they grew bored.

  The deadliest one, the cruelest one, was Axton. He’d humiliated one of the cheerleaders to the point she had to leave school. He’d posted a video of her begging to suck his cock, which went viral.

  Even Taylor had gotten a link, which she’d been too curious to not open up, especially as she’d been surprised to see Axton’s number already in her cell phone.

  Again, she didn’t know how it happened, only that it did. Rumors were always a nasty, vicious thing, and she, for one, hated them.

  Taylor quickly glanced away, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. If they were at the party then things were going to go bad. Fights, sex, whatever took their fancy. Even car races, which she had no interest in attending.

  Carla had been very specific about this party and how much she wanted to attend and had even told Taylor that there was a surprise about something. Carla had been acting strange lately. Every single time Taylor would ask her about it, Carla would close off and brush it aside as if it was nothing.

  Taylor hated parties, but Carla had been so different over the past couple of weeks. Her best friend wasn’t the same person, and she didn’t know why. She’d begged Carla to tell her what was going on, but nothing.

  Tonight was supposed to be a big reveal, to finally know what was going on with her friend, and so far, said friend was a no-show.

  Tapping her phone on her lip, Taylor decided to give her one final call. She listened to the ringtone, and once again, Carla didn’t answer.

  “Look, Carla, I’m getting ready to call it a night. You said to meet you here, and well, I’m still here, and you’re not. What’s going on? I wish I knew what was happening.” She moved toward the edge of the lake, glancing down to see the ice covering the surface. In the heat of the summer the lake was always full of kids partying and having fun. Right now, no one would even bother jumping through the ice.

  As she closed her cell phone, something bright in the grass caught her attention. Stepping to the edge of the lake, she picked up the cell
phone, noticing it was Carla’s. She ran her thumb across the screen, seeing her missed calls and messages.

  “What?”

  She looked back toward the party, and she couldn’t make out anything out. She stared at the phone, and then turned her attention to the lake. Something floated across the surface.

  The lake was no longer still. Even with the moon shining down, Taylor saw something on the surface, bobbing around. It was several feet away, and the moment she realized what it was, she screamed.

  Without thinking, she dropped Carla’s cell phone and broke through the thin sheet of ice, rushing toward the body. She didn’t know who it was, but there was no mistaking what she’d just seen with the sliver of moon casting light down.

  Breaking into a swim, Taylor felt the cold deep in her skin as she moved toward the body. It didn’t matter though. She needed to see what was floating in the water. The moment she got close, she saw who it was, and she cried out.

  “No, Carla, no, no, no. What the fuck?” She lifted her friend’s face, but she was so cold, so still.

  The music had stopped, and as she headed toward the bank where she came from, she saw several people waiting for her, watching. Someone had a flashlight and was shining it onto her.

  “Someone, get an ambulance.” She yelled the words, struggling to speak past the cold. As she got to the surface, someone helped pull Carla out. She didn’t know who helped her, but she was out of their arms and kneeling over her friend.

  A flashlight shone down on Carla’s pale face. Her lips were already blue.

  “Carla, what did you do? Come on, Carla.” Taylor felt her tears welling up, and she pressed two fingers to her friend’s neck, finding no pulse.

  Releasing a sob, she held her hands together and began to do CPR, pressing down five times before breathing in her mouth. No one was helping her, and everything felt numb. Carla was not dead.