by Rye Hart
“Clean up their act? You're serious,” Conrad said.
“Yes, I am. That’s my goal, and Stefano is a ruthless psychopathic killing machine. Officer Lawrence.”
“Yes?” she asked.
“If you held off on arresting these two until we can nail Stefano Bianchi to the wall, I would very much appreciate it. I would owe you a favor. A legal one, of course,” I said.
The woman looked around the room before she sighed heavily.
“Fine,” she said. “But I will need to be kept in the loop of this entire operation.”
CHAPTER 26
JULIA
I sat on the edge of my bed with the paperwork in my hands. Paperwork both the lawyer and the accountant had sent over to me. It was full of all sorts of mumbo jumbo I couldn't decipher, and I was growing agitated. But the parts I could understand made me sick. Stefano hadn’t only set himself up to be the head of the family’s illegal dealings, but of it’s legitimate practices as well. He was setting himself up to be a dictator, and it made me sick.
Looking through all the paperwork only solidified my intent. I was taking over the family business and making it legitimate. If Romeo could do it for his family, then I could do it for mine. If I could accomplish that, not only could I provide for my son, I could unite my family and we’d have a billion-dollar empire to pass on to Matteo. Something he could be proud of and run on his own one day if he wanted.
“Is that wise?”
I jumped at the sound of Enrico’s voice.
“I didn’t hear you come in,” I said.
“Part of the job description,” he said as he closed my door.
“Is Matteo up yet?”
“Nope. Still sleeping. And Stefano’s out.”
“Good,” I said. “Matteo and I will be leaving when he gets back.”
“Out on the town again?” he asked.
“Mhm.”
“I take it you won’t want a bodyguard with you?”
“It won’t be necessary.”
“With what you’re planning, you might want to rethink it.”
I panned my gaze up to Enrico and saw concern in his eyes.
“What you’re doing could put both yourself and Matteo at risk,” he said.
“Thank you for your concern, but I know what I’m doing,” I said.
“No, you don’t. The brood of vipers you’re slowly sneaking into are poised to attack. They’re always on their guard, Julia. I’ve seen your uncle and several of his goons do torturous things to many people for far less than what you’re attempting to execute.”
“And since you apparently know so much about my private dealings, Enrico, what is it that you think I’m trying to execute?” I asked.
He took another step toward me and towered over my form on the bed.
“A coup,” he said darkly.
“I’m only looking to take the seat that is rightfully mine,” I said.
“It isn’t yours, and you know that.”
“Why? Because I’m a woman?” I asked.
“Because your father never wanted you in that position.”
“That wasn’t the impression I got from my lawyer,” I said.
“It doesn’t matter what impression you got. Your father dragged you away from here to get you away from all this.”
“No, Enrico. My father dragged me away from here because I was fucking the oldest son of the Martine family. Because I was a disgrace to him. Not because he didn’t want me sitting in his seat,” I said.
“Are you fucking him now?” he asked.
My eyes hardened on Enrico as I stood to my feet.
“You are in no position to ask me such questions,” I said.
“When Stefano finds out what you’re doing, he’s not going to be happy. He’s ruthless, Julia. A killer.”
“Which is precisely why I am doing this Enrico. To rid myself and my son from him,” I said.
“It’s my job to protect you. Even before you knew you were pregnant, your father tasked me with making sure you were safe. And when Matteo came along, he fell under my wing, too. I’m going to protect that boy, even if it’s from his own mother.”
“You won’t lay a hand on my boy. I don’t know where you get off thinking you can order me around and tell me what to do, but I can have you dismissed in a heartbeat,” I said.
“And you wouldn’t survive two days without me. You don’t know half the shit I field from your uncle on a regular basis while we’re here. He’s spinning out of control. He’s dangerous, Julia.”
“All the more reason to take him down,” I said. “And if you keep your mouth shut, he won’t find out about my plan, will he?”
Enrico’s jaw pulsed, and I drew in a deep breath.
“Keep your mouth shut, or I’ll have you removed. You have no idea half the things my uncle has his hands in. Terrible, horrible things.”
“This isn’t going to work, Julia. You have no idea—”
“Leave,” I said plainly.
“No. I’m won’t. You’ve been prancing around this city and causing a ruckus without having the slightest idea as to who’s tracking you. I know more than you think I do because you don’t know where to look. You don’t know how to listen. You are the easiest target in this city to kill, and you’re trying to unseat the most ruthless man in this family’s history. You won’t succeed, and you’ll leave Matteo without his mother, Julia. Is that what you want?”
“I’ve had about enough of you,” I said as I took a step toward him. “I’m going through with it, and there’s nothing you can do to change my mind. This family is capable of so much more. So much good. And if you don’t agree with that, then you can get the fuck out and never come back.”
I stood toe-to-toe with the man I’d called my best friend for years. He’d been a trusted guard and advisor, but now he was simply standing in my way. And no one was getting in the way of me saving my fucking family.
“Make your choice,” I said through my teeth.
Enrico turned and stormed out of the room. I heard him stomp down the hallway and the stairs before leaving the house and slamming the door behind him loudly enough to wake Matteo.
“Mommy?”
I sighed and gathered up the papers before I shoved them into my suitcase in the closet.
“Mommy?” I heard him ask with fear in his voice.
“I’m coming, sweetheart,” I said as I left the room. “Mommy’s here.”
I walked into my son’s room, and he dove into my arms. I sat with him on the edge of the bed and stroked is thick head of hair that felt exactly like his father’s. I closed my eyes and hummed in his ear a tune Romeo used to sing to me. A little Italian lullaby passed down in his family for generations. He used to sing it in my ear whenever we sat underneath the stars. We’d talk about our future together and smile at the life we built in our minds, then he would stroke my hair and sing me that sweet little tune of his.
I’d ushered his son into the world with it, and it was the only song I sang that comforted Matteo during times like these.
I rocked him side to side until his body stopped trembling. I held him close to me as I drew in a deep breath, committing the scent of his shampoo to memory. I rubbed his back, and he yawned into the crook of my neck, and I closed my eyes to try and remove myself from everything.
From all the blood and the secrecy and the tricks and the mayhem.
I rocked Matteo until he fell back asleep. His breathing evened out against my body, and I laid down with him. I pressed kisses against his head and his cheek, hoping that my love for him would sink in; that he could feel it, even in the depths of his dreams. Matteo was everything to me. My light. My muse. My source of pride and strength. Everything I was about to undertake was for him. To give him a life he could be proud of and a name no one would recoil from. Taking on all of this would get our family reunited. Matteo could have his father. I could have Romeo. Our family empires could protect this city instead of harming it.
<
br /> I laid there with my son and dreamed of another life. A life where the Martines and the Bianchis worked together instead of against each other. A life where our family wasn’t standing on opposite sides, but on the same side. That was the life I wanted for my son.
And I would do anything I could to get it.
CHAPTER 27
ROMEO
A fist came down onto my door and shook it on its hinges. My mother’s head whipped up from her book, and I promptly sent her upstairs. Antony helped her into her room before he cocked his gun, then stood just beyond the corner at the top of the steps. I grabbed my weapon from underneath the kitchen table and checked the magazine, making sure it was full.
Another crash came down onto the door, and I held my weapon up.
“Who is it?” I asked.
“Open the damn door, Martine.”
I recognized that voice.
I yanked the door open and leveled my gun at the man’s face. The man from the park. Julia’s bodyguard. His face was stern, and he stared down the barrel of my gun like he was looking at a child’s play toy.
“Get that thing out of my face,” he said.
“Why are you here?” I asked.
“Put away your toy, and we’ll talk.”
“Is Julia okay?”
“No,” he said. “She’s not.”
I looked up the stairs toward my brother, and he held his gun at his side. I nodded in his direction, then I put the safety onmy gun and holstered it at my hip. I ushered the man in, and he looked around, his eyes taking in everything he could.
I wanted to beat the man’s ass. After the incident at the park, I wanted to strangle him until he couldn't breathe. What the fuck was this asshole doing here, and what the hell was wrong with Julia?
“Talk,” I said.
“I want to apologize first.”
My brow furrowed in confusion as the man stuck out his hand.
“Name’s Enrico. I was hired by Giuliano when he took Julia to live upstate,” he said.
“Uh-huh,” I said as I took the man’s hand. “Julia’s bodyguard.”
“That’s my job title, yes. And I take it very seriously.”
“So, our little run in at the park?”
“I was only looking out for her and Matteo. It’s my job, and in her family, it’s a hefty one. I don’t trust anyone. I think you know how that goes,” Enrico said.
“I have an idea. Are you thirsty?”
“No. I’m not staying. But Julia’s gotten herself into hot water, and I can’t talk any sense into her.”
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“I know what your family has done in the past and what you guys are capable of. I admit I’ve been trying to keep her and Matteo away from you. And I’m sure you can understand why. Your father’s reputation isn’t the cleanest.”
“Neither is Stefano’s,” I said curtly.
“Good thing I’m not loyal to Stefano then,” he said.
“You’re not?”
“No. My loyalty is with Julia and Matteo. Their safety is paramount to me. My number one goal, from the moment I wake up until the moment I go to sleep.”
“Right. So what do you want? What is it that Julia has gotten herself into?” I asked.
“Julia has been knocking on some doors, inquiring on information about how to unseat Stefano from the family business.”
“What?” I asked, my mouth going dry.
“Yep. She has already rattled the family accountant and the family lawyer. She’s on a mission to oust Stefano completely, and it’s not going to end well. It’s only a matter of time before he finds out what she’s doing.”
“She’s going at him head on?” I asked.
“You know Julia. Does she do anything any other way?”
I shook my head and couldn’t help but feel a deep seated pride in her actions, dangerous as they were.
“I have to give it to her, it’s a ballsy move. If there’s one thing Julia is, it’s gutsy.”
“But she’s putting herself and your son at risk,” he said. “She’s not thinking like a mother right now.”
“If you spin it in her light, she is. She’s probably thinking that if she can clean up her family's act, she’s got something she can run and pass down to Matteo. I know Julia. The only thing pressing her forward on this is Matteo.”
“I already know Stefano’s playing her,” Enrico said. “He’s been pushing very hard for the two of you to get close. And I have a feeling he wants the two of you close so he can take you and Antony out and take over your family’s dealings.”
“Trust me, I’m already three steps ahead of you,” I said.
“I’m worried about Julia, and that’s the only reason why I’m here. It’s only a matter of time before Stefano figures out what she’s doing, and he will take action against her. He’s ruthless, Romeo, and I have no idea what he’ll do to her. But I know he won’t let her betrayal go unpunished.”
Anger flooded my veins, but a dim grimness settled over my soul. Everything Vincent told me to expect was coming true. A war on all fronts. Using Julia to get to me. Using the police when Julia didn’t work. Attempting to send me to prison to get me out of the way. It was all happening. And now Julia was putting herself in the direct line of fire.
I had a plan in motion, trying to use the cops to get to Stefano. I knew I wasn’t above killing Stefano, but I wanted to keep my hands clean because of the promise I’d made to Julia. Sending Stefano to prison wasn’t as satisfying as bleeding him dry would be, but it would get him out of the way.
Which would take Julia out of the line of fire.
“Thank you for coming to see me, Enrico. I can handle Julia from here,” I said.
“If you have any sort of a plan in the works, I can take it back to her,” he said.
“No, no. If she’s not listening to you, then taking back something I’ve told you won’t work with her. I’ll have to see her on my own, but that part will be easy. I’ll handle it from here. I’ll get Julia to back off,” I said.
“I appreciate it.”
I opened the door and ushered Enrico out.
“And Enrico?”
“Yep?”
“Julia isn’t a woman anyone can control,” I said. “If you want to protect her, standing beside her instead of in front of her is the way to go.”
“And if there’s a bullet flying at her?”
“Then push her out of the way.”
I had to give it to Julia, she was never a person I could predict. Wanting to clean up her family’s act? It was a bold move. In a way, I was proud of her. Already proud of her for rattling cages and sticking to her guns even when it wasn’t the popular decision. I knew that was the reason why Enrico had shown up. The man had probably tried to convince her that none of this was a good idea.
“Do you believe him?” Antony asked.
“I believe his worry,” I said. “But I’ll have to talk with Julia.”
“Do you think she can do it?”
“I think if there’s anyone who can clean up the Bianchi family name, it’s her,” I said.
“You think Stefano’s out to kill both of us?” he asked.
“I think it’s not beyond him. I also know he’s playing this family on all fronts. I know his end goal is to take control of our empire. But the assaults are slow and from the shadows. He’s wearing down our defenses before he attacks. Weakening our walls before he delivers the fatal blow. It’s a great tactic in war.”
“You think that’s what Stefano’s trying to do.”
“Yes. He’s deployed multiple useless attempts to penetrate our walls while he’s got a solid—and much bigger—plan in the works. He’s kept me busy with Julia, and then he kept me busy with the cops and this whole mess with the gun runners. Now, I have to assume he’s sent Enrico to try and divert my attention back to Julia.”
“So you think Enrico’s a pawn.”
“He can say all he wants about being l
oyal to Julia and Giuliano. But the second his job is threatened, he will answer to Stefano. Men like him always do,” I said.
“So where do we go from here?”
“You go nowhere,” I said. “Your job is the same. Protect Mom until we can get all this shit sorted out. But I go to talk to Julia.”
“Today?” he asked.
I held the phone to my ear as my eyes glared at my brother.
“Julia? Hey, it’s me. Listen, I was wondering if you and I could meet up again to talk? I’ve got some things I want to fill you in on. Mhm. That’s fine, I completely understand. Are you sure he’s safe there? Yeah. Call me when you’ve dropped him off, and we can meet wherever you want. I’ll talk with you soon.”
“I take it she’s meeting with you?” Antony asked.
“She is.”
“What do you need me to do?” my brother asked.
“What you’re already doing. Keep mom safe. I’ll be back in a bit.”
I needed to know where Julia’s head was at, and I needed her to know my plan to involve the police to take her uncle down. No matter where Enrico’s allegiance stood, he was right about one thing.
She and Matteo were in danger.
And I would lay down my own life to protect them.
CHAPTER 28
JULIA
I dropped Matteo off at Shelley’s again and he ran right up to her daughter and immediately started jabbering away. It warmed my heart seeing him so happy, and I briefly wondered if we could make this work. A life in the city. Having his friend over for playdates. Enrolling him in school where he could make lots of new friends. . Matteo yearned for friends his age. Homeschooling him worked until a certain point, but he wanted to engage. He was independent like me, and I knew I wouldn't be able to keep him caged for very long.
I got back into my car and drove to the place where I’d agreed to meet Romeo. Ironically enough, it was an old hotel where our own fathers used to do business. Romeo had a key to one of the rooms that the hotel kept listed as “occupied” so no one would come in or out but him and the people he let in. I headed for the hotel, drove around back, and waited for Romeo’s signal.
