Crossfire (Rarissime Book 1)

by Anna Widzisz

  Understanding shone in the men's eyes. People were usually very skeptical when Flavio took matters in his own hands and chaired meetings instead of his brother. Even more that Capo dei Capi had so much faith in his seventeen-year-old sibling. But then he said something that completely eclipsed his young age and no one dared to disagree with his opinion. Until the next meeting where another older Made Man decided to completely ignore his authority over others. It was rather a love-hate relationship between soldiers and the ruling family. Many remembered the cruel end of their father's life and how he’d shaken the Famiglia to the core for his own personal gain. No one wanted to go through it again. And as much as Noah Falcone tried to separate himself from his father, they had many similar traits that couldn't be easy eliminated. And it bounced back on Flavio as well.

  "We can make a once-a-month best of the best races, taking those who won in Friday night races. We don't necessarily mimic the Midnight Mayhem this way but only build upon its reputation," suggested Bootsie before he drew something on his iPad and slid it across the table towards the men to look.

  "What is that?"

  "It's something I've been thinking of recently. Each Friday night we hold at least five races. The last one being the biggest and most profitable because of the winners of the earlier races. I've taken upon myself to check the volume in certain hours and many people actually come there to see the end of MM. Which means they are interested in the winners. Setting something as a Las Vegas Race Cup would guarantee that people come and spend the whole night there to see all of the racers."

  He sketched the statistics of the last month to showcase the results and what it could bring if they went through with such an idea.

  "It's still not enough. Working each Friday and once a month on one more day is not enough to let it settle in," Elio chimed in.

  Bootsie nodded. "Yes, but it's a start. We can try it out and see what profit we gain and go from there. We won't be able to focus on everything. Those are just legal races anyway. The illegal ones are still kept up to date. They bring more to the table."

  "The double bookkeeping is hardly giving us a wide range of possibilities. They are to be expanded, too, because it's a slow process and Noah wants to see results. Millions invested in this are to turn out to be wisely used. We may go with Bootsie's idea but it's your job to think of something for the underground activity still."

  Flavio appeared somewhat satisfied with the outcome. Elio didn't have to look closely to see that he thought that bringing Bootsie into the business was a wise move. He kept everyone on their toes and his creativity streak had the potential to go far when it came to car races. He had no doubt that the man would think of something for the illegal part of the venture.

  He got up from his seat and others followed his actions to say goodbye to him. The meeting was over. They shook hands and Flavio along with Elio left the room. They were to go to the gym to work out afterwards, however, the thought of Savannah not picking up her phone had lingered in Elio's head.

  He pulled the phone from his pocket, dialing her number. Straight to voicemail. She must have turned it off because before it had actually rung a couple of times before being declined.

  She was deliberately ignoring him and it was giving him whiplash.

  He sighed, debating on what to do. "Man," he began turning his head towards Flavio.

  The man regarded him and shook his head. "Whatever you want to say, don't."

  "You don't even know what I was going to say."

  "Seriously?" he gave him a once-over. "I wasn't born fucking yesterday. It had something to do with that waitress of yours. And as much as I would like you to entertain my mind with what is going on there, I cannot be put it the situation where I would have to hide things from Noah. I won't do that. So I prefer not to know."

  The thing was, no one really knew how the Capo would react to the news that Elio was dating an outsider. It had the potential to go extremely wrong, however, he had been extremely careful not to reveal things about their job. At least not details that could backfire on them. And as long as he didn't want to marry her, they should be fine. Or that's what he wanted to believe.

  But Flavio was right to dismiss him. He didn't know what his brother would do if he found out there was something going on. Made Men didn't trust people. Barely those that were in the Famiglia alongside them. Never outsiders.

  Noah would risk a lot by letting his people stretch the rules and him and Elio weren't close enough for him to even consider the option.

  He thought of Savannah. She was still in the dark as far as their inevitable end was concerned. It couldn't go further than that. And he hadn’t found the strength within to tell her.

  She might not even care. That was a possibility. Especially since outside of the bedroom, she didn't trust him. And trust was necessary if there was to be more one day. So maybe, unknowingly, Savannah was aware of the outcome. She, just like Elio, wasn't ready to admit that this was everything they’d ever have and that nothing beyond it could ever happen.

  "Do you think me talking to Noah would be a good idea?"

  Flavio stopped. His eyes filled with shock and incomprehension. "It's easier to follow the rules rather than to debate on whether my brother would go the distance for a soldier. You're setting yourself up for serious consequences. You are very well aware of what happened the last time he had to deal with someone who would rather break the fucking rules than listen and obey him. Lynette Selvaggio paid a high price. Don't go down that road."

  The occurrences in Seattle had been hanging over the Las Vegas Famiglia like a horrendous nightmare. It was considered a stigma of betrayal that after two years was still as vivid as ever. The topic was given a wide berth. Rarely anyone mentioned it. Especially in the Capo dei Capi's company. What happened with the daughter of the boss could as easily be voted as taboo, judging by how people reacted to even the slightest mention.

  So to think that Flavio, who had been a front-row spectator, made a reference to it was surprising. They had never really talked about it openly and Elio preferred it that way. He wasn't keen on bringing up the past. He was just glad that the Famiglia had bounced back under Noah's rule.

  "It's not the same and you know it."

  The scrutiny Flavio served him with was enough to clarify his position. "Perhaps not, but don't go looking for humanity within my brother. You will be met with disappointment. If not more."

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Any exhaustion and fatigue Savannah had been dealing with earlier were long gone now that she’d left the diner once her shift was over. Elio was waiting for her by the doors. She regarded him carefully. He was, surprisingly, wearing casual clothes - black jeans and a tight-fitting white t-shirt. His hair was rumpled and damp. He must have worked out before coming here. Yet all she did was roll her eyes, completely ignoring him and moved past the man.

  From the corner of her eyes, she registered the utter shock plastered on his face. He hadn’t expected her to act so cold when just a few hours ago they had been rolling in the sheets, giving in to a pleasure that Savannah had never before felt. And definitely not in such a big amount.

  With that in mind, she moved through the parking lot towards the nearest bus stop trying not to cry. Her emotions were all over the place and she felt like a stupid teenager who couldn't control herself and her heart.

  She was falling for him.

  Fast.

  Hard.

  And it was overwhelming.

  But she couldn't shake the feeling she was greeted with once she had opened her eyes and seen an empty side of the bed. The silence cloaking her house.

  Footfalls drew closer snapping Savannah back to reality. Elio was a hunter. And a resilient one. She knew that there was no way in hell she could just flip him off and continue as if nothing had happened. Mentally, she had to prepare herself for the most ridiculous and embarrassing conversation.

  "It's nice to know that you're alive and well," he murmured,
grabbing her elbow and drawing her towards his hard chest. "Care to explain why you were ignoring my calls and why the fuck you're ignoring me now?"

  She shook her head. "I'm not in the mood for your games, Elio."

  Elio exhaled and glanced away. He was annoyed. "I didn't realize I was playing any games."

  Of course, he didn't. Why would he when sex was just a simple everyday activity for him, whilst Savannah was as far from experienced as they came.

  "Leave it be."

  She ripped out from his tight grip and trotted away from him.

  "Fucking hell, Savannah. I'm not going to fly blind on what your problem is so you might as well just tell me and stop acting like a child," he grunted. Once again he caught up to her, however this time he put his hands on her hips. She wasn't capable of escaping. His eyes settled on her, demanding to meet them.

  Savannah felt the heat rising to her cheeks. She was just as hurt as she was abashed. But she knew that sooner or later the words that had been stuck in the back of her mind for half of the day were bound to be said out loud.

  She took a deep breath to calm herself. "Where did you go in the morning?" she asked.

  God...

  The accusation within her words was enough to make her feel even worse. She had no right to be angry at him, did she?

  Elio frowned, completely confused by where she was going with this. "I had to go."

  A little smile tipped her lips then a chuckle followed as she threw her hands in the air at how blunt Elio was. He couldn't even comprehend that there could be any problem, whatsoever. "You had to go," she repeated.

  "Sì. What does that have to do with whatever you're angry about?"

  "All that sex you've been getting from so many girls, unfortunately, me included, must have made you completely ignorant to what you did wrong."

  For the very first time, Savannah was not holding back by calling him out on his bullshit. The hurt made her brave.

  "You know what? Arguing with you is pointless. Your arguments are based more on your own emotions than the quality or intention of the response. Call me when your hormones settle down," he bit back.

  He dropped his hands and turned on his heel, heading towards his car.

  "Of course, that's your response. Running away from any responsibility. Because, God forbid you might actually have to deal with any emotions," she yelled, letting go of all grievances.

  "I don't need it in my life, Savannah. I have enough problems as it is to deal with whatever woman stuff you're going through. I don't have time for that, nor do I care."

  Silence.

  "You left me! After what happened between us you just left without saying so much as goodbye. You claim that I'm different and that you care about me but don't consider how cheap I might feel when I wake up and not see you."

  Elio laughed at the accusations. They weren’t what he’d expected. With how mature Savannah was on a daily basis, it almost felt surreal that she could hold a grudge over something as ridiculous as this.

  He looked at the girl, taking in the tears that shone in her eyes. A wracking feeling settled in his chest but he squashed it. "Are you seriously telling me that you're mad because I didn't cuddle? How old are you? Don't you realize that there are more important things? I have a job, Savannah. I cannot always consider that you want more attention. I gave you enough of it at night."

  His tone was just as cruel as his words.

  The bitter taste on her lips made her realize that she bit them harder than she intended to keep herself from crying.

  "I didn't need you to stay but simply let me know that you have to leave. Is that too much to ask for?"

  "So I'm the bad guy because I wanted to let you sleep before you had to get up to work?"

  Savannah sighed, running her fingers through her hair. Keeping it in a ponytail while she had been working made it frizzy when she took off the hairband.

  "I refuse to be treated like one of your whores, Elio. It's not what I signed up for and never will be."

  The man didn't look remorseful in the slightest. He was amused by Savannah's outburst. "No, you're not. The whores don't get the time of day to question me."

  She was in pain. So much pain that her vision blurred. Tears coated her eyelashes.

  "Don't give me that look, Savannah. You're blowing this way out of proportion. As if you didn't know what was expected of us. Sex was good but giving me a hard time because I chose to leave is plain stupid." Pause "You are not a whore and I don't treat you like one but what we have now is as far as it will ever go. So you need to deal with the reality of the situation."

  "What do you mean? Are you planning on us never defining our relationship? You didn't even say if I was your girlfriend or not and then you didn't even feel the need to, at the very least, give me some certainty that what we have matters to you."

  Elio knew that there was no backing out now. Savannah had to hear him out. He hadn’t wanted reality to sink in so soon, however, she would dig until she found out the truth.

  He stepped up to her, cupping her cheek in his large hand, stroking her skin with his thumb. "Defining our relationship won't change the fact that one of those days it will either end or transform to a side-fuck. Because I will have to marry a girl from our social circles whose family is part of the Famiglia."

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Her chest caved in and her knees shook. She was dizzy and close to fainting. The revelations shouldn't be anything unusual. Hell, she had talked to Megan on numerous occasions and their topics had recently strayed more towards the Las Vegas Famiglia. She knew they were bound by certain rules and standards. Being criminals wasn't the same as being savages and they had their code.

  But her heart skipped a beat either way when she analyzed what Elio had just said. And she had never felt as foolish as she did in that very moment. She didn't trust him all that much and wasn't expecting much as she’d learnt it from experience, however, if that was all she was ever going to get from the man; nothing beyond that, she didn't want it.

  Taking chances could always work, sure. To simply rely on the fact that nothing happened without a reason. Savannah might have even believed it when it suited her. But she was no longer able to act based on 'perhaps' and 'maybe'. She didn't need an eternal love that would consume her to the point that she couldn't recognize her life before that. She hadn’t even thought that Elio was the kind of man man to assure her that he was serious about her. At least not now.

  What she’d really wanted was some semblance of hope that she hadn't imagined there was more to them than just attraction and sex. Yet with Elio looking at her with those stone cold green eyes, she knew it wasn't the case for him.

  * * *

  "I wanted to fuck you,"

  * * *

  "It's all a little bit tragic, isn't it?"

  "What is?"

  "That it's not the most crucial thing anymore,"

  * * *

  "I started respecting you. That's why I couldn't go through with my plan."

  * * *

  His past words were like a knife to her heart.

  He went with the plan.

  Sex was the most vital thing.

  And he sure as hell did not respect her.

  Lie, lies, lies.

  Made Men were fucking liars. No matter how many times they repeated that they were not. How moral and respectful they believed they were. Fuck. They might have even thought that was truly the case.

  But it was nothing more than their imagination taking advantage of them. And along with it - of others who believed their words.

  "Savannah, it doesn't mean anything right now." His voice became delicate, soft seeing the mortification on the girl's face. He saw pain and hated himself for being the cause of it. No matter that he cared about her. But without the acknowledgement of what was to come, she wouldn't understand.

  Not when she was an outsider and didn't understand what being in the Famiglia meant.

  She snorted
quietly, trying to control her emotions. She was on the edge of falling apart.

  "How can you say that?" she asked. "It matters to me. Because you went from being incredibly thoughtful to completely nonchalant of what we shared. You told me to trust you. That you wanted to be the man I deserved. And not once have you stopped and thought how selfish that was of you. You knew that was it. That you couldn’t pursue me further because that would end sooner or later. What was worse you never realized that it was something I should’ve been aware of long before I decided to offer myself and my body to you."

  "You don't believe in that bullshit of waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect guy, Savannah. I could see that in your eyes when we went out for the first time. You were scared of dragging your brother into a situation that had the potential to go wrong. That’s all. I know you don't regret having sex with me."

  She didn't.

  He was right.

  Savannah was far from believing in fairytales and all that love-at-first-sight thing. To give your v-card to someone you were in love with and could see a future with. It meant nothing to her. Whatever she did was driven by what Aiden might need and how he could be affected by her actions.

  Being with Elio was the very first thing she’d done for herself. And she went too deep, too fast. She didn't regret the physical attraction or what they did. She regretted putting her mind and heart into it as well. Not fully, but partially. Enough that she still felt broken by the outcome.

  She shook her head. "It's not your place to tell me what I believe or not, Elio. It's mine and mine alone. Unless you heard the words coming out of my mouth, you shouldn't assume anything. Because at the end of the day, even when people crap on the saying that words mean nothing without actions, it exists for a reason."

  She was done. Savannah was completely exhausted and powerless where Elio was concerned. The worst thing was that even with him acting like a complete asshole, telling her all those painful things and making her feel like she had been a joke to him all along, she couldn't resist the impression that it was her own fault for thinking that she was strong enough to handle it.