Crossfire (Rarissime Book 1)

by Anna Widzisz

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  There wasn’t enough Prozac in the world to help her release the stress and anxiety she felt right now. Her stomach was in knots and she could barely put one leg in front of the other. She was mentally exhausted after talking to Elio. Not to mention how stupid and naïve she felt for wishing something that could never happen. Immediately, she regretted choosing to go through the city on foot rather than by bus.

  She needed to think and clear her mind, however, that only made her venture further into her thoughts and curse herself out. After years of having to deal with things on her own, becoming more responsible, one might believe that she would think twice before getting involved with someone who from the very beginning alarmed all her insides, screaming danger.

  Being alone sucked.

  That's why she felt relief when she got closer to her apartment complex. It meant that now Aiden would get all her attention and she’d forget her problems for the next few hours until it was his bedtime.

  She shifted the bag on her shoulder.

  "Are you okay there, Savannah?" She heard the voice of her neighbor Frank. She turned her head in his direction, noticing him sitting in his usual spot in front of his apartment doors. He was playing with his zippo, whirling it around his fingers.

  She remembered when she’d asked him about it. The man had been a heavy smoker ever since turning fourteen and had only quit after coming back from his last tour in Afghanistan where he had lost his leg and damaged his overall health. His lungs were barely working and his life was hanging in the balance. Doctors called it a miracle that the man managed to turn it all around the best he could. Savannah only wished that he could have someone, other than her, to appreciate the sacrifice. Even when his life was crumbling down, he found the strength within himself to keep going.

  It was extremely inspiring.

  She bit her lip as it began shaking uncontrollably. She was about to cry. "Not really, no," she whispered, closing the space between them. The man stood up immediately, wobbling slightly as he struggled to support himself on his sole leg. He extended his arms and closed her in his embrace, offering her the chance to let it all out. He had known her for two years and only now he saw her so devastated that she couldn't hold it in, swallow her pride and move on from the tough time.

  They stayed like this for a few minutes before Savannah calmed down. She gasped, choking on air.

  "What happened?" Frank asked, concerned. He stroked her hair before releasing her to look into her eyes. They were full of tears, her cheek wet and chin quivering. The sadness almost palpable. "It's him, isn't it?"

  Savannah frowned, waiting for him to continue.

  Him, who?

  "That boy who came here recently every night."

  There was no reason to lie so she simply nodded. The vision of Elio stepping through her threshold time and time again with that recognizable smirk on his lips and confidence as he walked. Of course Frank must have seen him. Not just that first time when he’d driven her home after they’d just met.

  "I just wanted to do something for myself for once."

  The man squeezed her arms in assurance. "I know you did. The thing is, Savannah, you never know before you try. Not everything is meant to be and we can only take chances on people. Whether they decide to take them seriously, it's only up to them."

  He didn't know anything about Elio Conte but his words suited the situation perfectly, even if Savannah wasn't sure if she believed them completely. Taking a chance meant being vulnerable, and being vulnerable almost always meant getting hurt. She’d known that and still made that mistake.

  "He was trouble."

  "You could have shaken the sense in me back then. I'd have saved myself time and heartbreak."

  Frank smiled. "Never in all my life have I listened to someone just because I believed to know better. I'm glad because people learn from mistakes. Besides, in the end, we can be prouder of the things we tried to achieve and failed than those moments we simply turned around and waved the opportunity goodbye. Don't regret it. After all, you will come out of it much stronger with a better sense of what you want from a man."

  Right now she didn't want anyone. She couldn't even comprehend being in a relationship in the first place, yet Elio had changed her mind with a snap of his fingers. As if there was nothing simpler. Replacing him couldn't happen. Not anytime soon, anyway. Not when she still wanted him.

  "Do you believe in love?" she asked.

  "I do, very much."

  She swallowed. "Why? Shouldn't you be one of those who have learnt from experience not to love?"

  His wife had left him because of his injury. And the man still kept hanging on to this fatal feeling?

  "I'll let you in on a secret, Savannah," he said. "The power of love brings hope, yet sometimes also causes pain. You found comfort in the loneliness and took it as a familiarity too good to let go of. But we are born to love and we do no matter what. It just takes a person to show you why it's such a human thing. There's bravery in walking towards it in spite of the roughness and hardship."

  "I didn't love Elio. I liked him but it wasn't love."

  He looked at her with softness and warmth. There were creases on his temples as he smiled. "If you hadn’t loved him, you wouldn't be hurting."

  Was he right?

  She knew she was falling for Elio but was she in love with him already? Had she missed the subtle transition under the impact of so many new emotions and experiences that he had served her within a short period of time?

  "How did you forget? Moved on?"

  "I haven't, Savannah. Time gives you the opportunity to heal but it doesn't make you forget. Nothing does. You just learn to appreciate what you learnt, what it gave you in the long run and go through life using it the best you can."

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  The Bratva started acting on their anger day after day. There were raids on the Las Vegas Famiglia's establishments for the next week. One worse that the other. Many casualties and not only among soldiers. Civilians too. Money stolen, places turned upside down, people shot; hurt or dead.

  Violence.

  Blood.

  Rage.

  That was what Elio's life had been filled with lately. He’d barely slept since his phone kept ringing non-stop. Whether to inform him about another Russian attack, or about taking a shift protecting one of the businesses that strictly answered to Father. One that had reported suspicious activities and people who were coming around a lot. Each soldier was on stand-by almost twenty-four seven.

  Elio couldn't remember the last time he had more than three hours of sleep and it usually wasn't at night, either. Most of Father's establishments were bars and pubs that worked till early morning which meant constant security. One that only Made Men could provide. Even trained professional guards wouldn't be able to catch so many details as mafiosos. Especially since they didn't know how the Bratva worked.

  All captains in Las Vegas had been struggling with this problem, however, not Noah Falcone himself. For most people, it was a reason to start doubting the Capo which was exactly what the Russians had wanted to achieve. Successfully.

  With many more meetings that Noah had with his soldiers, he became increasingly frustrated by the number of doubtful faces when he ordered them around. Everyone was taught to protect their own interest. And only additionally respect their Capo dei Capi because of all the good things he had given them. Yet it wasn't the case anymore. Noah was losing support which caused Flavio's initiation to be brought forward.

  Noah needed an Underboss. A person who would have a strong position just in case something was to happen.

  No one had said it out loud, not even Elio, but they all knew that he was preparing for the worst. And this time, death wasn’t the worst outcome. Having his soldiers turn their back on him was. The manipulation that Bratva brought upon them had changed things. The Capo wasn't weak, not even close, but his people were losing their businesses due to the need to
renovate after the attacks, which meant spending money. Not to mention the significant decrease of those working for them.

  Authorities had started to take an interest too, and it would not be long until they stopped turning a blind eye to the mafia organization in the city. Newspapers were having a blast with the overflow of information combined with the raids that had been happening in the last few days.

  Controlling things had become fucking hard.

  Elio knew that and could feel that there were even more and worse things to come, too. So he kept his focus on the job to somehow contribute to the Famiglia. Before, he couldn't imagine Noah Falcone losing the support which could easily mean the end of the Famiglia as they knew it. Lately, the vision had become a terrifying perspective that he wasn't able to shake off.

  He was watching Flavio's initiation with the hope that this simple act would help. The man was young and already close to becoming an Underboss for one of the most powerful organizations in the States.

  Seventeen.

  But he’d gained the respect of many Made Men because of all of the good things he had done for the Famiglia alongside his brother. And he wasn't the one to be held on to for his affirmations of a strong and unbeatable mafia. Noah was. That was why this last resort was so important to improve upon the overall outlook on the ruling family. So captains and soldiers might give them more time to fight off the Bratva.

  Once the main part of initiation was done and over with, it usually was Elio's cue to leave. He didn't enjoy the social part. The last time he’d graced them with his presence was three years ago when he had become a Made Man. However, taking into account everything that had been going on recently, he decided against leaving. Flavio wouldn't give a shit but as he was to become an Underboss soon, it'd show disrespect.

  He grabbed a glass of whiskey and downed it at once, feeling the bitter taste fill his throat. He immediately wished to get drunk which he hadn’t been able to do once that week. Always on standby, hoping that his father would slow the fuck down with sending him on stake-outs from one of his establishments to another. Most of them weren't even reporting any suspicious activity, yet Gastone had become so freaked out with the possibility of losing even more money if the Bratva decided to persuade another owner to do business with them.

  Also, it was a diner under his protection that had changed their passive-aggressive relations with Russian so nothing was off the table at this point. The Vasiliev brothers wouldn't give up easily. As former soldiers, they’d gathered the necessary skills to impair the Las Vegas Famiglia. After retaining their first significant fortune derived from scamming fellow Russian Jews eager to emigrate to countries including the United States. They had made deals to buy their assets, sell them for fair market value, and forward the proceeds. Instead, they'd simply sold the assets and pocketed the proceeds which had led to them serving two terms in prison for currency-dealing offenses. And as leading figures in that Bratva that had emigrated to the States, they were bad news from the start. That's why it wasn't easy to run them out of the city.

  Now they’d gone into hiding and no one had seen them recently which was even worse. Because who knew what they were doing. But it couldn't be anything good.

  "Elio," Coluccio Guerra's voice rang right behind him. He turned around meeting the Capodecina's eyes. They hadn't seen each other since the Ecstasy incident. Something that the Enforcer wished he could obliterate from the man's mind. Especially since he'd been a deciding factor in why Father had become set on Savannah. Made Men talked. It wasn't anything new, yet somehow never about themselves. Getting fellow soldiers in trouble was much more entertaining. Whether Coluccio had done this on purpose or not, Elio didn't give a fuck.

  "Coluccio," he greeted him with cold detachment.

  "We haven't seen each other in a while. How is that girl of yours? Savannah? Am I correct?"

  He remembered full well that it was, in fact, her name. Elio, hearing it, tried to remain unmoved, however, it appeared to be harder than he thought. The words she’d said to him still as vivid as before. Normally, he'd move on to another but somehow he couldn't get Savannah out of his head. There was something about her that he simply couldn't shake off. The girl wasn't what he’d expected at all.

  And he was an asshole, completely fucking up whatever there was between them. One by one picking at the pieces of her that she’d decided to, for some reason, share with him. She was right. He shouldn't have assumed anything when he still knew so little. Both about her and about himself. Because he'd never been drawn to anyone as much as he was to Savannah. It was all new, and on top on having to keep it on the down low simply to one day lose it all didn't sit well with him.

  Elio tried to keep himself in check. As much as possible. And that was because he knew the outcome which he’d concealed from Savannah. The rules that she knew weren't complete. Unless you were a part of the Famiglia, things might have sounded as a greatly weaved fantasy. Not real life.

  But he couldn't think about it right now. Not when he was surrounded by Made Men and someone might have caught up on the fact that something was wrong. Especially his father who hadn’t looked away from him once since they’d came to the initiation. He was extremely cautious now, fearing that his own son might bring him troubles. More than he was prepared for.

  He rolled his eyes. "Cut to the chase, Coluccio. What do you want from me?"

  The Capodecina shook his head "Nothing really," he answered before he started to laugh out of nowhere. His hand rested on Elio's shoulder.

  Confusion flashed across the Enforcer's face.

  What the fuck was going on?

  "Pretend like you're having a good conversation."

  Like hell he was. He shook off the man's arm. "What the fuck do you want?"

  Coluccio cleared his throat, smiling to him. Still playing. For those watching the interaction, it might seem like Elio'd just said something funny, and it might just be his intention.

  "I'm telling this to each Capodecina in the city, however, when I mentioned it to your father, he acted sketchily. I know he's against your relationship with this girl of yours, so I decided to warn you instead," he began. "The Bratva is targeting our businesses which means that we are the most likely ones to suffer since we didn't betray our Capo. I believe that to be their endgame. To turn all captains against Noah. Look for the signs with Gastone. He might be susceptible to their persuasion and as much as I don't like the idea of losing money, I'd hate to lose my head more. Watch out."

  "Why aren't you telling this to the Falcones?"

  "Because Noah needs solutions, not problems."

  Elio frowned. "This will only become a problem if he doesn't know about such a possibility in advance."

  "No, Elio. This'll become a problem the moment he hears about the possibility because he'll stop trusting his captains. And without any real indication that something is wrong, we don't need this strain in the Famiglia."

  With that, he left.

  § § §

  * * *

  Elio couldn't get the conversation out of his head for the rest of the evening. However, he didn't doubt that there might be some truth to Coluccio's suspicions. He was an annoying person most of the time with his old-fashioned sense of morals and set of rules, but he was also loyal. Something that couldn't be said about Gastone with a hundred-percentage certainty. He also understood the Capodecina's reluctance to mention this to their Capo dei Capi without any evidence. It'd bring a reprisal as Noah would be even more careful and possibly go on another killing spree, just like he had when he had taken over the Famiglia.

  No one wanted that.

  He decided to stay quiet for now and simply be on the lookout for any hints of Father getting in touch with the Bratva. The man wouldn't tell him so it was all on him being vigilant while trying to move on with his life.

  To do that he still needed to fix things. Get his shit together. Because no matter what, Savannah was still there. And he couldn't forget. He tried. So fu
cking hard, yet some things and people weren't meant to be forgotten. He'd just realized that.

  He stepped on the gas, driving through the pelting rain. The sky looked like it could turn into a storm any second now after so many days of obnoxiously high temperatures and terrible drought. He wanted to make it to Savannah's before it got worse.

  Cold sweat glistened on his furrowed brow. With hands clasped tightly on the steering wheel. His body was reacting like there was a gorilla about to beat the crap out of him instead of being faced with what he actually wanted. He'd never taken any of his actions to heart. Never admitted his mistakes. And the thought of hurting Savannah left him with a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach, knowing that his last words had hurt her terribly. She might have tried to hide it, always being the one who had to stay strong. But Elio saw right through her.

  Fighting with the girl was the worst feeling in the world. He would prefer to take any of the beatings that he impressed upon those who stood against him. It was easier than looking in Savannah's eyes and seeing the light leaving them. Even worse that he was the one to cause it each time.

  So no matter how anxious he was to go against his fucked-up self, he stopped the car at the parking lot in front of her apartment complex with a screech of the tires and got out of it before he lost all confidence. It was rather ridiculous that he even felt that. He never took himself as a person capable of such a feeling.

  Then again, he also didn't know Savannah before and how much she would change his life in such a short time span.

  Under the pressure of rain, he looked up at the kitchen window. His eyes captured Savannah's soft figure right before she hid from him, clearly not wanting to see him.