Nero

by Angelique Jones

  “Nero, I’m telling you that there is nothing out there on the killer, or any connection between the kills.”

  “There has to be something, Matteo. Whoever’s doing this isn’t just randomly picking these men,” Nero said, slamming his hand down in frustration. For months they had been trying to find a link between the murders—and had found nothing.

  “I agree, but I don’t see it. I have no idea how Enzo knows that these guys are on a hit list. I had Anthony discreetly looking into it from his end too, but he says the same thing. Enzo isn’t the one ordering the hits. The only thing he was able to find was a list of names and assets on that USB drive I gave you. Have you found a connection?”

  “No, nothing. Dammit, Matteo. We need to know where the killer will strike next if we’re going to beat Enzo to what he wants.” Picking up a folder full of photos of the men listed on the drive, Nero turned to Rose in desperation. “Would you know if these families had any connections?”

  Taking the file from him, she placed it on the coffee table and began leafing through it. “Well, first of all, most of these men are part of your father’s generation. Are these the only ones?”

  Blinking at her words, Matteo and Nero turned to look at her. “No, there were others.” Quickly grabbing another folder from the desk, Nero handed it to Rose. “These are the ones who are already dead.”

  Leafing through, Rose started to pull a few out and set them aside.

  Curious, Nero asked, “What’s special about them?”

  “Special? Nothing. These men died when you were a child, so I’m not sure why they are in here,” Rose said, tapping one of the pictures.

  “When?”

  “When your father died. These men were all buried within days of your father.”

  “Where they in the same fire?”

  “I’m actually not sure. The deaths that occurred during that time where kept quiet—and it was ‘strongly encouraged’ that everyone just forget that it happened,” Rose said while leafing through the pictures.

  What the hell? It isn’t like Rose to be so dismissive.

  “You never made inquiries into your son’s death?”

  Rose stopped rifling through the file at his question and looked up. “Nero, it was in everyone’s best interest that your father was gone and forgotten. I truly did not want to know what atrocious act he might have committed to push someone to murder him,” Rose said sadly.

  “What do you mean? The fire wasn’t an accident?” Nero asked, taken aback.

  Why had Chis never told me that?

  “I have no firm proof. The official cause of death was by fire—the actual cause was from a knife to the throat.”

  “So other than Enzo, no one knows what really happened?” Nero murmured, shaking his head. Nero looked at the folders some more for a minute as a thought formed. “Rose, did anyone else die during that time that wasn’t in the folder?”

  Wrinkling her brow in thought at his question, she paused for a long moment before finally saying, “I don’t know how it could be tied to this, but the only other deaths that come to mind are Michael and Helen Gagliardi.”

  “I remember them,” Nero said as a distant memory surfaced. “Michael Gagliardi was assassinated in his home, by his own men. I remember because Chris had to attend the funeral right after my father’s. But I don’t see how that could have anything to do with this…”

  “It’s true Michael was assassinated at home, but his wife and daughter were killed while at the home of Michael’s brother, Lorenzo. Lorenzo was killed trying to protect them. It was very tragic. Michael and Helen were the love story of our time. Helen was beyond beautiful—even your own father tried to marry her,” Rose said with a brief, fond smile. Then it vanished and a strange look crossed her face. She looked down at the pictures scattered before her. “So many men tried to marry her…” she murmured as she slid her hand over the pictures, fanning them out.

  “Rose, what is it?” Nero asked. Kneeling down, he reached out and placed his hand over hers.

  “I don’t know how this could be connected to what you are looking for, but I think I know how these men are connected to one another.”

  “How?”

  “They all made offers for Helen—and were turned down.”

  “How could that be relevant?”

  “I’m not sure that it is. It happened close to fifteen years before their deaths. The daughter was ten or eleven at the time, if I’m remembering correctly.”

  “I know you say that the woman was beautiful—but that couldn’t have been the only reason that all of these men would have wanted her,” Matteo scoffed.

  Nero understood what he meant—beautiful women were a dime a dozen, so there had to be something else that connected the men.

  A humorless laugh escaped Rose before she spoke again. “Matteo, you have to understand that there are beautiful women—and then there was Helen. She was something special. Top that off with a large fortune. She was the prize of the century. Truthfully, the only one who was said to have rivaled her beauty was her own daughter, and Angelica was kept hidden from the world. Gagliardi had been so worried that his daughter would be kidnapped he locked her up in their estate. No one outside the family was even allowed to see the girl.”

  “If no one ever saw the girl, then how do you know that she was beautiful?” Matteo asked, skepticism tingeing his voice.

  “Nero, type Helen Gagliardi’s name into the computer. The society page loved her, so I’m sure that there is a picture.”

  Getting up, Nero went to his desk to pacify Rose. She seemed highly offended. When the search results came up, he froze. “Rose, did she have any sisters or nieces that looked like her?”

  “No. Helen was an only child, and no one else in the family could touch her beauty.”

  “Are you sure that the daughter is dead?” he asked slowly as emerald eyes flashed through his memory.

  “Yes. As far as I know.”

  “How old would she be now?”

  “A little older than Tori.”

  “Then I think we have a problem. The girl in the loft that day looked a hell of a lot like this woman.”

  “Nero, that’s impossible. Angelo Gagliardi, Michael’s brother, took over the family after his death. He adored his brother. If his niece was alive, he would have kept her with the family.”

  “She told me that our family did her a great wrong. What if Enzo and our father were involved in the deaths of her parents?”

  “Nero, the girl would have been a child at the time of the murders. Even if she somehow survived, do you really think that she could be involved with these deaths? The men being knocked off are hardened killers in their own right. A little girl couldn’t be doing this.”

  “Rose, it wasn’t a little girl who stared at me that day, but a soulless killer. I don’t know if she’s involved in this or not, but the only connection we’ve come across that all these men share is Helen Gagliardi. I think we should look into it from that angle.”

  “If you think so, then you’re going to do as you wish. I think that it is a waste of resources. Also, I would warn you to be careful with any inquires that you make. The Gagliardi family still mourns the loss. Where are you with Juliet Franzese these days? Are you any closer to getting what you need?” Rose asked, obviously wanting to change the subject.

  Seeing that this line of thought was upsetting Rose, Nero played along. “Anthony’s been working on it, but Juliet is smart. If she’s skimming off the top then she’s being real careful.”

  “Of course she is. Enzo would kill her in a heartbeat.”

  “Well, we need to find something on her to use as blackmail if we’re to have any chance of taking Enzo’s main source of income. The only thing that Anthony was able to dig up was that it isn’t just girls being trafficked through the clubs—it seems that Enzo has a very lucrative drug business going on also. It’s one of the reasons that he’s so interested in the clubs. Between his acquisition from
the murders and what he’s been able to create on his own, his business now spans across most states. Soon he’ll be operating internationally.”

  “There has also been talk about building ties with the cartels. If Enzo can cement his ties with the sources, it will give him an added advantage. He’ll have easy ways to move his products once he has those ties. Nero, it will be almost impossible to stop him without taking on the cartels. And if they get involved…well, they might be crazy enough to try and come after us even with the contracts in place,” Matteo put in.

  He voiced what they had all been thinking.

  A soft knock saved Nero from having to respond. He called out for the visitor to enter. Nero watched as Jenny opened the door. Her pale, drawn face made her eyes look like saucers.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt, but dinner’s ready,” she said. When she turned to leave, Nero motioned her over. Her reluctance to enter the room showed in every step she took. Slowly, she approached him, then stopped when she was a few feet away.

  With distant eyes, she looked over his shoulder and asked, “What do you need?”

  Reaching out, Nero placed his hand on her slightly protruding stomach, where his child was nestled in her too-thin body. She flinched at the contact. Holding back his frustration, Nero asked her softly, “Have you taken the vitamins that the doctor prescribed today?”

  Instead of answering, she gave a stiff nod. Then she turned and left the room. Jenny had been like that ever since she had found out that she was pregnant. No, Nero realized, she had been acting strange even before that. She had been distant ever since returning from her stay at her cousin’s. Nero had hoped that the time with her cousin’s baby would have made her crave one of her own, but it seemed to do the opposite. He had tried to broach the subject of a baby when she came home, only to have her go into screaming hysterics and lock herself in their room. When she finally came out, he didn’t bring it up again—and neither did she. A week later, she fainted. Nero had rushed her to the hospital. The doctors had run tests and determined that she was dehydrated—but also that she was pregnant. With how far along she was, they calculated that the baby must have been conceived the last time they had sex before she went to her cousin’s. Which was also the last time they had sex at all; their sex life since she had gotten home had been nonexistent.

  Rose told him that women went through hormonal changes when they were pregnant, but he couldn’t believe that it was the only reason for her behavior. Most days Jenny wouldn’t even look at him, and getting her to talk was like pulling teeth. Shaking his head, he looked over to where Rose and Matteo quietly stood. The sympathetic looks on their faces made him clench his jaw.

  Enough is enough. Tonight Jenny is going to tell me what’s wrong.

  Chapter 11

  Dinner was a dismal affair. Everyone tried to draw Jenny into the conversation, but other than giving one- or two-word answers, she didn’t speak. Angered at her attitude, Nero told her sharply afterward that he would be up to bed soon and that she should wait up for him. Other than a slight nod of acknowledgment, she said nothing to anyone as she left. Seething, Nero left the table and went to his office. He poured himself a drink at the sideboard and downed it in one swallow. A little sigh made him turn around. Rose—with a disappointed look on her face. He poured another drink.

  “Rose, I’m not in the mood to be lectured.”

  “I’m not in the mood to lecture you. Pour me one of those.”

  He poured her a glass and took it to her. Nero, amused, watched her throw it back like it was water. Seeing his look, she smiled in self-mockery.

  “The memories of the first years of my marriage are hazy. After I realized what type of man your grandfather was, I spent a lot of time with a bottle by my side,” she said.

  Shock filled Nero as her words sunk in.

  Rose is always so in control. I never would have pegged her for a drinker.

  When she motioned to the chairs, he sat. “I got sober when I realized that I was pregnant. I wasn’t going to let that man raise my child. As your father got older and I realized that he was just like his father, I stayed sober for another reason.”

  “Why?”

  “For you, your brother, and your sisters—though you weren’t even around yet. I knew that Julius would eventually marry and I swore that the cycle would end. Unfortunately, when I helped to protect your mother’s fortune behind his back, Julius forbade me ever to be alone with her again. That was the reason I so rarely visited when you were children. Your father wouldn’t allow it. He became more insistent about it after your grandfather died—of food poisoning.”

  It wasn’t the way she said it, and there wasn’t anything in her face to give it away, but Nero put it together. “Did my father know?”

  “He suspected, but he couldn’t prove anything. I think that was another reason he didn’t want me around your mother. He was afraid I might give her ideas.”

  “If you knew what my father was like, why didn’t you take care of him?” he asked curiously. The anger he normally felt was missing.

  “Because he was my son, Nero. My child. I think that you understand that. You have been more of a father to your sisters than a brother. Even with what Caterina has done, could you ever kill her?”

  As Nero mulled Rose’s words, the answer came naturally. He couldn’t be angry at Rose for not doing something that he wasn’t sure he could do himself.

  “I’ve been angry at you for a long time.”

  “I know you have.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be, Nero. If I had known then what I know now about Julius, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him. Once I realized what I left you children and your mother with, I hated myself. Each day, I force myself to face what was done so I won’t make the same mistake again. Each day, I force myself to remember that sometimes blood ties mean nothing. That sometimes it is better to grieve for what is lost than to regret what your action could have changed.” Standing up, Rose leaned over and kissed his cheek. As she straightened herself, a sad smile graced her face. “The past cannot be changed, Nero. It is better to let it rest. And, speaking of rest, that is where I am off to—and where you should head.”

  Smiling as she walked away, Nero called out softly, “Thank you for not lecturing me.”

  “I love you, Nero. You and Jenny are what your father and mother should have been. Don’t let frustration and anger blind you to the happiness that will come,” she said before turning and leaving the room.

  Looking at the glass in his hand, Nero set it down untouched. Rose was right. Getting drunk wouldn’t help either of them. Standing up, he walked slowly out of the room and up the stairs. The anger that had gripped him earlier was gone. Stopping in front of the bedroom door, Nero took a calming breath before quietly opening it and stepping inside. The room was dimly lit by candles. He closed the door and made his way to stand behind Jenny at the windows.

  “Do you know how much I love you?” he asked softly before reaching out to cup her hips and to slowly draw her body back so that it was tucked firmly against his. Resting his chin on her hair, he watched her reflection in the glass. “When I look at you, baby, I always see you like you were when we first started dating. You were so sweet. I had never seen anything as beautiful as you. Everything about you was magical. So magical that I thought that the lines between worlds had blurred and a fairy had escaped into our realm. Dumbstruck, I would just stare at you. I was instantly infatuated with every delicate move you made.” He moved his hands to rub where the baby lay. “I want this because it is a piece of you. A piece of us. One more magical thing to fill my world. One more thing to push back the darkness that was my life before you entered it.” He squeezed her when he saw silent tears begin to fall on her grief-filled face. “Please, baby, just tell me what’s wrong. Talk to me.”

  Slowly, she turned in his arms. She tilted her face up to look at him and raised both hands to cup his face. When Nero began to speak, she shook
her head and kissed him. Soft as a butterfly’s wings, her lips glided over his. After a moment, though, the kiss changed. A sort of desperation began to fill the kiss. Breaking away, her hands reached out and began to remove his clothes. A strange form of hopelessness filled her face as the last of their garments were shed and she guided him to the bed.

  Later, as Nero laid in the darkness gazing down at his fairy’s tear-stained face, a strange sense of foreboding stole over him. He felt as if she had just said good-bye.

  She was gone when he woke. Unable to shake the feeling that something ominous was about to happen, Nero rushed to leave the room. Downstairs, he looked around for Jenny. He needed to see her.

  “Have you seen Jenny?” Nero asked Matteo, who was walking toward him.

  “Yeah, she’s in the kitchen.” Moving to walk around Matteo, Nero was stopped by a restraining hand. “This just came for you, from Anthony. He told the pickup guy that it was urgent.”

  Nero wanted to go to Jenny, but knew that he needed to handle business first. He took the envelope. A single DVD slid out when he opened it. Nero walked to his office and popped it into the computer. He hit “Play.” The first thing he could see was the wall of a room. Then the camera panned around to a couple having sex on a bed.

  What the hell did Anthony send me this for?

  He already had his finger on the “Stop” button when the side of the woman’s face became visible. The guy riding her from behind had grabbed her hair and was turning her head to face the camera. With each inch that was revealed, Nero felt more and more sick. It took him until the girl’s face was completely visible to believe it, but Nero realized who the two fucking in the video were.

  Enzo and Jenny.

  Dark rage filled him. Walking slowly from the room, Nero made his way to the kitchen. Standing in the doorway, Nero watched Jenny glide around the room for a moment. As if sensing him, she turned. Nero moved to her and gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand. Leaning forward, he gently kissed her forehead before taking her hand and leading her to the office. The video was still playing. The moaning and groaning drew her attention.