Ruthless: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Piper Stone

  Gio snarled and kept his back toward me, dialing yet another number. “You have baggage to claim at the warehouse.” He clenched and unclenched his fist, huffing every few seconds. “Just fucking pick him up. You know where to take him.”

  Just the way he issued the command gave me chills.

  He tossed the phone onto the bed then slammed his hand on the dresser.

  I remained where I was, keeping silent and trying to control my breathing.

  He finally sensed my presence and I could tell he was attempting to shove his anger aside. “I need to go out to a meeting.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  Another hesitation.

  “As I told you, there are some things that you don’t want to know.”

  “And what if I do?” I asked, inching closer.

  He swung his head in my direction. “Jesus Christ, Veridi. Do you really understand what I do, what the people who work for me do, what we are required to handle on any given day?”

  “I’m not naïve, Gio. Whether the news provides an accurate representation or not, you’ve made it very clear that you’re a murderer. What that might make me is a fool, but you know what? I believe you’re not that man. I choose to believe it whether you continue to tell me otherwise. Yes, we need to talk, because you aren’t keeping me here like this. If I’m here, I’m going to do so because I choose to be. Are we clear?”

  Gio bristled at first, one fist clenching. After taking a deep breath, he closed the distance, rubbing his hands down my arms. “You’re right. You’re also amazing, Veridi Mason. I do want you to be here and we will talk when I return. Then you can decide.”

  “Fair enough. Don’t do anything stupid, Gio. Make a choice. You still can.”

  He heard what I said.

  “Make yourself at home. Antonio and several of my other soldiers are outside. I will send Antonio in to check on you. I shouldn’t be very long.” He moved to his closet, his tension having returned.

  I wanted to scream out, to beg him to reconsider whatever deed he was going to do, but in his world, I was just his girl. God, the entire situation was ridiculous.

  He selected a suit, charcoal gray in color. The cobalt blue shirt screamed power, utter control.

  A lump formed in my throat. He was going to extinguish an enemy. I laughed to myself, unable to formulate the correct words. Kill. Murder.

  When he was dressed, he turned to me as he selected a watch from a beautiful and ornate wooden box. Even from where I stood, I noticed a picture had fallen from the box, sliding across the surface of his dresser. His reaction was typical, a snarl curling on his face. He shoved it inside, even pushed the box further away. What memories harbored such horrific emotions?

  A certain part of me had already shut down, refusing to believe he was capable of killing anyone. I secured the towel before walking toward him, adjusting his shirt collar then patting my hand on his chest.

  He took my hand, fingering my palm and as he’d done many times before, he brought it to his mouth. The elongated kiss was so damn telling. He didn’t want to leave me and he didn’t like what he was prepared, or as he’d previously stated, required to do.

  Was I the biggest fool of all?

  “Mrs. Saltori has the day off. Maybe we can make something together when I return.”

  A man going off for a day’s work. The entire concept was laughable.

  “I’d like that. I’ll see what I can find in the kitchen.”

  “Mmmm... Maybe you’ll be the feast.” He didn’t bother securing the gun hidden in his nightstand, the one I’d found only hours before. But I knew when I walked into his office that the one on his desk would be gone.

  I shuddered as he walked out, slumping down on the edge of the bed. I heard the chime of the security system only a few minutes later. I couldn’t take my eyes off the candles and as if by magic, they fizzled out one after the other. A series of shivers trickled down my spine. The fantasy had been destroyed, replaced with a more violent sense of reality.

  Eyeing the box, I glanced at the door before walking toward his dresser and slowly opening the lid. The picture had been taken years before, easy to tell by the photograph paper it was on. I eased it into the light, blinking several times.

  A rush of images flashed into my mind, rolling one after the other, detailed visions that I’d pressed into the far reaches of my mind. A sickening feeling pooled into the pit of my stomach and my fingers began to shake.

  Then I knew.

  Then I understood.

  Then I...

  Chapter Fourteen

  Giovanni

  “What do you know?” I barked into the phone, turning the wheel and accelerating. The call had been one I’d expected, but not with the glaring malevolence for such an extreme betrayal. If what I’d been told was true, there was no way to stop the ensuing turf war.

  And the call hadn’t come from any of my capos or soldiers. Instead, I’d been forced to hear the damning information from the captain of police. Fucking great. At least the rat had been caught red-handed.

  “I just heard. The crew is on the way,” Marco stated, grunting after saying the words. “Cockshit bastard.”

  “He’ll get his, just like I told you he would, but I’m doing this my way.” I was going over eighty, headed onto the parkway. This was going to end tonight.

  “I hear you, boss. I got some other news for you.”

  “Yeah? Better be good news.”

  “Your brother has been located. He’s alive. Would you believe the bastard’s got a house in St. Martin?”

  “Oh, yeah? The kid always did enjoy the islands.” A snicker formed on my lips. From the time Jagger was maybe eight, he’d had grandiose ideas about owning a tropical island. He’d left town with a lady for an adventure instead of facing up to his duties. I should be pissed, taking him down in the ranks, but right now he seemed like the smart one.

  Marco snorted. “Down there with some fuckin’ hot chick livin’ life grand. The kid has it good.”

  Usually the news would just be basic info, but on this day, it seemed everything had changed. I bristled hearing the way Marco talked about him. Jagger was only four years younger and truthfully, a hell of a lot smarter. A lump formed in my throat, the need to talk to him hitting me hard in the chest. “That’s good to know. I’ll fill him in later.”

  “Sure that’s wise, boss?” He almost instantly back-pedaled. “I mean, he’s not a part of our world any longer.”

  “You mean my world, the one that I control. Isn’t that what you meant?”

  “Yeah, I get it. Of course, boss and I meant no disrespect.” He coughed several times. “So, it’ll be great to see him again and catch up on old times. He was always a good kid.”

  Marco and Jagger had never been friends, sparring on almost everything. My capo much have realized I was on a precarious ledge, for him to be providing compliments instead of accusations. He would never understand about the politics within my own family.

  “Just meet me there.” I tossed the phone, gripping the steering wheel with both hands. The time for discussions of any kind was over. Then I heard a blip from a text. I hesitated before picking it up, hissing the second I did. The photograph sent by Tony was positive proof enough. I toyed with the phone, hoping that this was one call I wouldn’t regret.

  St. Martin. Lucky bastard. He’d always been a damn good businessman, taking Bishop Enterprises to levels that pleased my father, even though he’d never offered a single compliment to Jagger in his entire life. However, there were debts to be paid, to the family and to me. Jagger had pretended that he hadn’t been born into the Calduchi family, refusing to use his given name. The decision had always pissed me off. How things changed. I admired his courage as well as his honor.

  As the call actually went through, I was hopeful, but very antsy. When it was answered, I sighed with relief. “Jagger.”

  “Gio. You sound... You sound good. I’m glad you’re alive. I wasn’t intereste
d in the aftereffects.”

  The aftereffects, which meant he wanted nothing to do with being in line to the throne. “You don’t have to worry, I’m fine, Jagger and I did what I was required to do in order to protect our family.”

  “Then the issue had been taken care of?”

  “Let’s just say the family’s attorney will be at the center of the conclusion.”

  Jagger exhaled. “I’m not going to say I’m surprised.”

  “Now, you need to come home and settle certain business situations. There are... additional items to be handled.” I was careful in my wording. The FBI was undoubtedly on an even higher alert, searching for ways to bring down the rest of the family. They had a solid opportunity if what Captain Talifero insinuated was correct. That couldn’t happen. The door was been left wide up for the bastards from New York to come walking in.

  I heard nothing for a full thirty seconds, not even the sound of his breathing.

  “As I expected. I’ll be there. We do have business to complete but my way this time, whether you like it or not.” Jagger’s voice held an air of hostility and he was the one ending the call. We were never going to be friends, he and I. He was the favorite child. I was merely the heir apparent. And all the odds had been stacked against us that we’d make it to thirty.

  Guess we were overachievers.

  I watched the traffic in rearview mirror for any sign of being followed. Today wasn’t the day to fuck with me. Given the early hour, there were few cars on the road and the darkness suited my mood. My grip remained firm as I sped down the highway, overhead lights and highway signs flashing by in a blur. There was no outlet for my rage, no manner in which to calm the beast inside. The man I thought I trusted had crossed the final line and by honor and code. Michael would face my wrath. Ten minutes later, I took an exit, hitting the back roads.

  My thoughts drifted to Veridi. The same pinch I’d felt in my heart earlier returned, making me lightheaded. The conversation regarding her parents nagged at the deepest crevices in my soul. She’d left mere crumbs about her past and nothing more, just as guarded as I’d been my entire life. Maybe we were meant for each other.

  My cock twitched at the same time a series of buildings loomed in front of me. The distillery had been in the family business since the forties, not only a moneymaker but one hundred percent on the up and up. It was also in the middle of nowhere.

  I kept my eyes on the road leading in as I exited the vehicle and shoved my phone into the inner pocket of my jacket. It would be interesting to see if the little bird was gonna sing.

  My feet pounded against the hard cement floor as I walked inside, the sound echoing in my ears. A somber mood kept them quiet, the group hanging on the fringes. Even Michael was silent, awaiting his fate in a stoic manner. He lifted his head as I approached, his face already bloody and bruised, one eye swollen shut. He’d been dumped onto a chair, his wrists and ankles chained. In all the years I’d known him, I’d never seen as much as a single look or gesture of fear. The man had been larger than life, my godfather. Now, as he peered at me through his one good eye, I could see nothing but terror.

  Maybe I’d expected remorse of some kind. I stood several feet away, planting my hands on my hips and staring at him. The others knew better than to say anything, but the smell of blood was in the air. Every one of them wanted revenge.

  But not more than the man standing in front of him. Michael had called me the son he never had. He’d been responsible for taking me to baseball games and soccer practice since my father didn’t have the time to waste. He’d also been the only adult I’d been able to confide in. He’d been the one to show me how to fight after several older kids had beaten the shit out of me in an alley next to school. He’d heard about my first kiss, the girl I thought I’d love forever.

  Now. This.

  I swaggered closer, keeping my eyes locked onto him. I had to crush the emotions inside, shove aside everything but the task. There could be zero weakness shown. What I’d shared with Michael in the past was now ripped away from my memory banks. To me, this mother fucker was a cold-blooded murdering rat.

  The backhand I issued was swift and brutal, knocking the chair over. He didn’t utter a single sound.

  Two of the soldiers righted the steel piece of furniture, immediately taking a step backward. I glared down at him, ready to rip his smug expression off his face. “I have one question. Why?”

  Finally, Michael darted a look around him, shaking his head several times. “You don’t understand what’s really going on, Gio.”

  “Oh, I see. I’m too stupid to know that you were behind the assassination on my father as well as collusion with Don Giotano?” I was probably the only one who noticed the slight tic in the corner of his mouth. In my mind, this was all the admittance I needed. I lifted my arm, prepared to strike again.

  “Wait. I have proof that I had nothing to do with destroying your family.”

  I was quite surprised at the cohesiveness of his words. Very calm.

  “And the argument you had with my father the day of the assassination, the reason you weren’t at the lunch?” I demanded.

  Michael darted another look around, as if expecting to see someone. “Your father and I disagreed on a matter of business. I had no way of knowing what was going to happen.”

  I rubbed my jaw, debating what to do then yanking out my phone. I couldn’t wait to hear the bullshit he was prepared to tell me. I said nothing as I shoved the picture in front of his face.

  He had difficulty swallowing, the tic increasing. I watched as the beads of sweat trickled down both sides of his face. I’d struck a nerve. The picture of him sitting across the table from Bruno Giotano in a coffee shop suspiciously across the street from my father’s favorite restaurant was all the evidence I needed. He’d sold us out.

  “I can explain,” he offered, an air of confidence filtering across his face.

  “I don’t think you need to.” I shoved the phone back into my pocket and reached for my Glock.

  “Giovanni, you know me better than this,” he said quickly. “I would never betray your father. We were best friends. Yes, I had a discussion with Bruno when I learned he’d arrived in town. I issued him a warning not to fuck with us.”

  “Us?” I said, laughing.

  I didn’t bother looking in his direction.

  “I thought you were dead. Jagger was missing. Someone had to take control.”

  “Bullshit!” My voice boomed in the space. “And my guess is that my brother’s life is in danger as well. Did you find him, Michael, in St. Martin? Did you issue his death warrant?”

  He opened his mouth, a wheezing sound erupting from his throat.

  “Yeah, I bet you did. Is there a couple of New York goons on their way to murder him as well?”

  “No, I...” Swallowing, Michael leaned forward, his face flushed.

  “Cut the crap. You always touted yourself to be an honorable man. Well, where is the honor in selling out your godsons?”

  Michael threw another look around the room, scanning the capos and soldiers. “Choose to believe it or not, but Marco did a damn good job making it appear that you’d died in that fucking hospital. I took the reins until Jagger could be found. I had no idea you knew where he was.”

  “Yeah, I was told. And what about Columbus? You sent Jacko to off me, as if I wouldn’t be careful? Jesus.” Why I was bothering to ask was beyond me.

  He had a genuine look of surprise, his brows furrowing. I knew everything about this man from his choice of women and liquor to his dark and kinky secrets he kept from the rest of the crew. He had no clue about what had occurred in Ohio.

  “Gio, listen to me. You can kill me if you feel it necessary, but I’m not the one who betrayed either you or your father.” Michael sighed, slumping as far into the chair as the chains would allow. He was resigned to die.

  “Fine. We’ll play this game for a few minutes longer. Then who is?”

  He nodded down, as
if indicating his jacket. Interesting. I had nothing to lose by checking what the fuck he was talking about. Reaching into his pocket, I found a brown envelope, carefully sealed. Curiosity had always been a weakness of mine and I peeled away the tape, reaching inside.

  There were several papers as well as a few photographs. As I read through them, some with my father’s actual handwriting, a murderous chill settled into every cell in my body. I took a deep breath, giving him a nod of respect then sweeping the room with my eyes.

  “He made a deal months ago,” Michael said under his breath. “That’s what we were arguing about. Your father didn’t believe me.”

  My mind reeled from the information as adrenaline finally took over. I slammed the information into my pocket. “Get him unchained now!”

  “But boss,” Daniel spoke up first, confused as fuck at my change in orders.

  “Do it!” I turned away, taking several long strides as I grabbed my phone once again. After five rings with no answer, my blood boiled. The area had been compromised.

  “Come with me.” Michael was barely out of his chains before I jerked him to his feet.

  “What the hell is going on?” one of the soldiers asked.

  “Lock down everything and wait for my instructions.” I snapped out the orders as I dragged Michael toward the entrance. Everything fell into place.

  The odd comments.

  The shit that went down in Columbus.

  I’d been the biggest fool of all and now, the love of my life was going to pay the ultimate sacrifice for my stupidity.

  Losing her life.

  Over. My. Dead. Body.

  * * *

  Veridi

  Love.

  Lust.

  Pain.

  Pleasure.

  I had no idea how to describe what I was feeling other than like a bigger fool than before. He’d opened up a side to me I never knew existed, the concept of submitting to him going against everything I believed in. He’d allowed me the opportunity to explore the sliver of darkness that everyone had buried deep inside of their psyche. There were two kinds as taught to us as children. Good versus evil. He’d bridged the pathway from the time he was a child, seeing and experiencing horrors that could have turned him into a psychopath.