by Anna Widzisz
And when Elio thought he couldn't admire her more, she proved him wrong. She felt all those conflicting emotions, thinking that it was the only one way she truly should react to everything. Yet she blamed herself for having a different approach. Caring about keeping a roof over he brother's head, putting him above all else.
He never experienced it himself. The Famiglia was always the number one priority. No other person should count. There was no question who to put first. A family member or the Famiglia's interest. The choice was clear. For Savannah, he would go through hell just so that Aiden wouldn't have to suffer a single day.
Elio slid his thumb over her bottom lip and pulled it slightly down. He couldn’t help it. Her pout made it so hard to focus on anything else. "I rarely promise something so believe me when I say that I'll take care of you. My Capo has no interest in the diner, whatsoever. Father gains a lot of money out of this place and he won't even think of closing it down."
She said nothing but nodded slowly, acknowledging the reply. There was still doubt on her face which Elio decided to ignore. He wasn't big on trust, Savannah was the same. He wondered what had made her this way.
He made a mental note to approach the subject at a better moment.
"Now eat. Kate already knows that she's supposed to wait for you. She doesn't mind."
"Have you called her?"
He shook his head. "I sent her a message at night to tell her that you're alright. And this morning asking if she can wait for you," he admitted, pulling away. He went back around the counter, setting a plate with food for Savannah.
"If you wrote to her and she doesn't even really know you then she's probably thinking of calling the police for a possible kidnapping."
With amusement reaching his eyes, he smirked. "If it was kidnapping I would plan it better. Not text her, pretending to be you," he put her mind at ease.
Her gaze started to wander to the Enforcer's torso. Every muscle was outlined as it smoothed into his perfectly shaped abs. He was a breathing work of art, his tanned skin so tempting to touch; every move giving away his strength. Sicilian fairness evident. What made him more ideal was how imperfect his body also was. Scars in the shape of cuts and bullet-wounds adorned his look, giving him a darker appeal. One that held secrets, stories and experiences that probably could curdle one's blood.
The history of Elio's survival.
Chapter Twenty-Two
After driving Savannah home, he stepped on the gas as he was already late for the meeting. He briefly talked to Father, however, there were still things that should be established. Especially since he didn't exactly have the authority to kill Hunter. He was to drag him to his trunk and hand him over to his boss. Yet when Elio saw Savannah trying to talk him out of hurting the man he’d snapped.
The images of her being in constant danger because of one man not capable of admitting that he'd fucked up drove him up the wall. He didn't necessarily care about the girl per se. He hadn't known her then. But people who hid behind others rather than take responsibilities for their actions were pussies and a fucking waste of air for Elio. To think that there were still Enforcers in the Famiglia who actually took advantage of opportunities like this was unthinkable. What a way to completely trash the image of mafia in the world.
He got what he deserved. Elio knew that but Father might disagree, seeing as he hated when something wasn't going according to his plan. And even worse that his least favorite child was the one to disobey his order. It could easily turn out to be really bad for him.
Standing in front of the doors to Father's office, in the support area of the nightclub, he debated going in. He wasn't scared but today he had a really low tolerance for bullshit and each meeting that was called by the Capodecina somehow managed to get him either bored or riled up.
His eyes rested upon his hip where he had the gun strapped up. Elio always made sure to have it with him whenever he was going into a room full of Made Men. No matter whether they were family or not. Trust must be earned and neither of them had managed to do that.
He flexed his fingers against the handle, breathed out and stepped into the office without so much as a knock to announce his arrival.
There were four men in the room: Gastone, Alberto - which was to be expected as he was Father's right hand, his twin Fabro and... Noah Falcone. The three looked nervous to be in the same room with the Capo dei Capi. Not surprising as they had a rather tense relationship that revolved around business and whether the Capodecina was able to pay back on time the percentage that he owed his boss. However, the Capo himself looked bored. His eyes didn't even move as Elio came inside. Only when the Enforcer sat down on the couch did he greet him in acknowledgement.
It was nothing personal. Elio knew that. If he had such a disposition to ignore his father, he would do it in a heartbeat. But he couldn't. There was a hierarchy in the Las Vegas Famiglia which couldn't waver because it would all come crashing down and Noah made sure to keep up with the tradition of respecting the person above. It was easy for him because he was a Capo. A fucking young one - some might even say that too young - but still Capo dei Capi.
Noah clapped his hands. "Now that we are all here let's make it quick," he stated and looked at Elio curiously. "Where's the fucker now?"
"Dead. Probably dropped in some river or buried in the desert."
Gastone sent his son a scorching look, his face flashing with undeniable fear.
Candidly, it was rather amusing how one person could be scared of a barely-of-age boy and still talk crap about him at the same time. Especially since Noah recognized the potential in him and made him a Capodecina. However, it was debatable whether he was even suited for the position. No mafia in all of their years of operations had someone like Noah rule over everyone. But Elio knew that it was also the best thing that had happened to the Famiglia in a long time.
"Good. One less problem," the Capo said.
Elio instantly thought back to what Flavio had said about him leaving Savannah before causing some real damage. There was no doubt that they were brothers.
"What information did you get out of him about the Bratva? Has he told you the name?"
"Sì. Igor Vasiliev was coming to the diner. Him and his brother, Ivan, are looking to take over the businesses established by the Famiglia. They don't care about other families who still have influences here. It became personal for them because they lost over seven million dollars a year."
Noah nodded, an intense look adorning his face. As if he was thinking about something important. "I'll get my people to look into it. We won't let this slide without retaliation." Pause, then he looked at Elio once again. "I bet you're up for the job later?"
Elio smirked, imagining himself ripping the Russian motherfucker to pieces. But not before shoving a gun so deep into Igor's ass that he would single-handedly beg for mercy. Right now for him, it has become personal too.
He agreed.
"Good. Gastone, find another owner. And he better be fucking scared of you, so that we don't go through something like this again. The Bratva's going to be a problem for a long time, but it's your fucking job to ensure people talk when someone approaches them. You can be glad that your son had enough influence to find something out from one of the waitresses."
Those words were a warning for Father, however, Elio knew that the last part was also an indication of his possible future screw-up. Outsiders were out of the question. Never before had any Capo dei Capi agreed on unions like that. Politics and entrepreneurship were the fields they took an active part in to bring more recognition to just how important of a role the mafia played in the society, but going as far as creating relationships wasn't normal. And even though the new Capo was keen on making changes - one of them being moving half of the operations from Sicily to the United States - some things couldn't be pushed through the same way. Traditions had to be kept and people satisfied.
Because of that Elio preferred to withhold the fact that Savannah also witnessed him tor
turing the fucker.
"We cannot answer for one person's—" Gastone began saying just as Noah raised his hand in a silencing gesture. Then he got up from his seat, buttoning his jacket.
"Whether the owner answers to you or you to me doesn't make a fucking difference to me. It, however, might make a huge difference to you. I gave you that position. Don't make me take it away in the most brutal way. Just take care of this shit," Noah seethed, heading straight for the doors. He was done with the meeting. And Elio immediately wished he could walk out now, too.
Instead, he glanced over his shoulder, seeing his Capo out and took his seat, waiting for Father to start his disquisition. Fabro's eyes didn’t leave his brother. He, too, wasn't happy that Hunter was killed before they were able to talk to him. It didn't matter that Elio actually managed to grill him about everything.
Gastone poured himself some bourbon, downing it all at once and put down the glass with a loud thud. His hand was shaking with anger as well as with a sense of anxiety. Taking a few deep breaths, he turned his head towards Elio but said nothing. His eyes darkened, however, it could be recognized for what it really was - fear. Made Men were afraid, too. Especially when their Capo dei Capi could so openly threaten them. Even if he was twice younger than half of his soldiers. The damage he could do was real.
"What the fuck did this bitch actually tell you that you decided to ignore my order?" he snapped.
There was no mistake that he was talking about Savannah and even if Elio's fingers twitched towards his gun, he stayed put, knowing that it would be a stupid thing to do. He could hardly harm his Father and boss and still walk out of here unscathed.
Elio doesn't move his eyes from him. "You already know everything that I do. So what if I killed him? You gave me permission to do whatever was needed. Well, this was the only way to make people listen and fucking pay up when the time comes."
"Being brutal out in the open for everyone to see doesn't make it more efficient. You can be glad that we decided to check the place after you left. That was one big motherfucking mess. Even the cleaners had a problem with getting it back together," Fabro chimed in.
The Enforcer shrugged. He didn't care if someone found the body. More so, he wanted people to know what happened with traitors. And with the way he’d brutalized the body, it would most certainly send a message. But for some reason, they decided to hide the evidence.
"People won't learn to come to us if the Bratva fuckers approach them otherwise. You should have hung the body from the roof for others to see," he said easily, running his tongue over his teeth. That is why his job was out in the field. No boring meetings. This, however, had the potential to turn into a dangerous one.
As he glanced at his twin, he saw the curiosity. Which only meant that not only Noah had picked up on Savannah coming to him for a reason. It was just a thin line between them finding out much more and as stupid as this was Elio had no further intentions of stopping himself from getting involved with the girl. He didn’t care anymore about all the what-ifs and barriers that he had put there in the first place. Maybe he would get bored soon. Maybe it was just a twitch that he needed to give into to later get rid of.
Seeing as no one said more to him and started talking about plans for a new owner, he got up and out the door. That Father didn't say anything more to him was surprising. He usually didn't waste an opportunity to call him useless among other things. But with the problems piling up, it must have been the least of his worries at the moment.
When he came into the main area of the club, he saw a few dancers rehearsing their choreographies on stage. They all looked his way - the one he usually fucked with an inviting gesture. She looked as if she’d got over how he’d treated her back in the VIP room a while ago. He hadn't fucked her since then because he simply got bored of doing dancers. They weren't fun anymore.
With a smirk, he made his way outside, ignoring the girls. He had many more entertaining thoughts in his head. None of them included fucking. It was still early in the day. Barely noon. And surprisingly he had no plans at all. That's why he decided to go for a full-body workout because the quick jog in the morning wasn't enough for him. Then he really needed to see Savannah. All employees had a free day today because of everything, so she would most likely be at home.
"Be careful," he heard a male voice just as he came up to his Audi. On his left, he saw a movement nearby and immediately grabbed the gun, pointing it in the general direction. He saw Noah Falcone once again.
The Capo chuckled, raising his hand in a gesture of a mockery. He was nowhere near being scared. Rather entertained by the thought that someone had pulled a gun on him. "Easy, those aren't clothes meant to get bloody," he said.
Whose blood it would be, Elio could only guess.
He slowly lowered his gun, still alarmed as to why the man hadn’t left as they’d all thought.
"Why did the girl tell you about the owner?" he asked.
Elio shrugged. He really doubted that Flavio had told his brother more and this was simply coming from his own assessment of the situation. Like a good soldier, he should be upfront, however, he wouldn't risk it. Especially since he had no fucking idea what he even wanted.
"She already knew what I was capable of after I beat the shit out of him for not giving us the money on time," he said instead.
The man nodded, however, acceptance didn't really reach his eyes. He hid his hands in his pockets and leaned against the side of the car. "I know you're friends with my brother and if he likes you there must be something worth liking. But don't think for a second that I'm going to let you off the hook if you step out of line. Even as our fathers' children, we still decide for ourselves. We have that possibility."
His tone was cold but his words were genuine. That Noah didn't have any warm feeling towards his father was obvious. Each time he tried to distance himself from the likes of him by calling him only a sperm donor. Rightfully so. No one would follow him at twenty years old if he were as traitorous as his father. And the sins of our fathers should never hit home.
Elio's eyes narrowed.
The Capo surprised him by being so straight-forward, revealing that he, in fact, wasn't keen on Gastone. The man was a heartless fucker who loved torturing and maiming probably more than Elio himself. However, he was careful not to disrespect his soldiers without a good reason. He took care of his own, no doubt. Yet, the admiration was lost on him.
"Why did you give my father a position as a Capodecina?" Elio asked at last.
He’d been wondering about it for way too long.
Two fucking years.
Now he might just get an honest answer as to why.
Noah glanced at him, then at the nightclub entrance. "I needed people who feared me. Gastone is a pussy who, hopefully, is going to think twice before betraying me. And you’ve been in Las Vegas ever since we opened a few businesses here over twenty years ago. Hell, you were born here, Elio. So, of course, you know the city, its ins and outs. I was sent here five years ago to learn."
A cold but calculative decision.
Hence, the position as Capo dei Capi. He couldn't afford weakness and being friends with his soldiers was not on his priority list. He needed fear, obedience to rule with an iron fist. Which he did.
Elio admired that. He was only a year younger than his Capo, which was already remarkable even though he had no other choice but to take over. But it hadn't happened in a long time that someone barely of age took over.
"Choose your battles wisely," Noah advised.
He scrutinized him one last time before getting into his car and driving away, leaving Elio completely dumbfounded.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Water droplets hit the car windows as Elio drove. The skies were overhung with a blanket of grey and navy blue that he couldn't even tell the difference between the sky and clouds. It was about time it rained since the last month was nothing but an unbearable, extreme drought. With what the man had planned, it didn't disturb an
ything.
Despite the car ride feeling tedious because of the traffic, the rain commonly calmed him. He watched the raindrops racing down the windows, thinking about what was to come. The Russians would surely retaliate now that Hunter was dead. That meant the Famiglia was onto them and wouldn't give up influence without a fight. They were brutal motherfuckers. Blood would flow no matter what.
Just as he parked his car in front of Savannah's apartment complex, his phone rang. The ID displayed Flavio's name who without a doubt called because of the meeting his brother had with them earlier. He knew more about why Savannah actually came to him as well as the fact that he had been there.
"Don't even try," he groaned, annoyed.
Everyone was getting on his case and the only thing he could say was that he wasn't sure what he was doing. Something made him ignore all the negative aspects of being around the girl. He was pulled towards her and it was stronger than him. So for once, he decided to play the field before moving on.
He didn't expect for it to last and if he were a good person, he would step away from this situation for good. But neither was he good nor did he aspire to be. He cared about Savannah's safety. That was all. Overthinking wouldn't change the rules he was bound by.
He killed the engine.
"He's not going to let it go," Flavio said, talking about Noah.
"So? I'm not doing anything bad. Since when fucking an outsider is forbidden?"
Flavio laughed. "Since you're not getting any and still getting in too deep."
Elio rolled his eyes. He didn't even fucking start anything. They'd kissed once and he'd taken care of her after killing Hunter because it had been his damn fault in the first place that she'd needed help.
