Made to Beg

by Piper Stone

  A man like Carmine Francesco had no acceptance of the need for change.

  We needed to expand in order to remain viable. No longer were illegal drugs as profitable as they’d once been. Plus, I was sick of hearing about death and destruction all because assholes required a needle shoved in their arm. A fix. I wanted more out of life. If Stefan survived, perhaps his less aggressive ways would help guide our father.

  If he survived.

  Goddamn it.

  I laughed softly to myself as another strange thought hit me. I wanted normalcy. I’d invested far too much time exploring real estate options, even legitimate casinos where I could capture the entertainment market. Hell, Dominick had several successful ventures. The Francescos were poised to enter into other realms.

  As long as I didn’t fuck up this particular war.

  I shook off the anger, concentrating on driving as the icy precipitation continued to fall. I was forced to slow down to a crawl given there were several inches of unplowed ice and snow on the roads.

  There was zero reception, no way I could reach out to anyone. I wanted to believe that the explosion of Sierra’s car had been a setup, forcing me out of my comfort zone. If that was the case, then someone had gone to significant trouble to make it appear as if she’d been killed. This added another layer of distrust.

  The darkness was oppressive, the defogger unable to keep the windshield warm enough to avoid ice buildup. I leaned forward, rubbing the sleeve of my coat against the glass, squinting in order to see any concept of a road in front of me. I’d driven to the cabin at least a dozen times, but the darkness as well as issues with the GPS left me following only my memories.

  By the time I saw a sign for Galena, I was overwrought, unable to think about anything but putting a bullet in Axel’s brain. As if that would do any good. My gut told me Dominick had been right. Axel was a nobody playing the role of a lifetime. He was the front man for something much larger.

  My instincts continued to fall to one word, but I hesitated to allow the thought to fester. If I was wrong...

  Every muscle was tense, my heart racing the closer I got to the turnoff. There’d been no signs of a wreck but given the rate of the snowfall, if Dante had run off the road and into the forest, it would take time for anyone to find them. The windshield wipers weren’t able to keep up with heavy precipitation, ice mixing in. There was no light to highlight the turnoff, forcing me to turn sharply. While the truck skidded a few feet, the massive vehicle remained solid, maneuvering the slickened roads with relative ease.

  The cabin was remote, with only a few neighbors within miles. I passed two others that appeared to be vacant. In fact, there were no vehicles of any kind. Now the rage had overtaken me, driving me to the point of madness. My entire body was shaking, a cold chill skimming down my spine. By the time I reached my cabin, I was almost numb.

  Everything was dark, pitch black and there were no vehicles within sight. At that very moment, images from the past rushed into my mind, a life that I’d been born into and one that had ripped away every ounce of good my mother had attempted to teach me. Jesus Christ. I was pathetic.

  I pulled close to the cabin, the headlights still unable to pick up any sign of another vehicle. I had to play this like any other situation. Both Dante and Sierra could be inside, kept at gunpoint, whoever had staged her death realizing I’d come here eventually. There were certainly plenty of locations to hide a number of vehicles. I cut the engine and immediately reached for my weapons.

  The only way anyone would have found out that this cabin exists was by looking through land records, not the usual tactic men like Axel used. But his handler? Entirely possible. I slapped a brand-new clip in the Glock, also selecting my Beretta. I also grabbed a flashlight. I could sense there’d been someone here.

  When I stepped out of the truck, I could smell smoke from a fire, but there was no way of knowing if the smell had wafted given the amount of wind. What I did notice was the set of footprints on the front porch. Only one. As I bent down, I listened for any telltale signs of life. I could only hear the howling wind. The print was from a thick work boot, very large in size.

  I sucked in my breath and kept low as I reached for the door, finding it locked. I crept around back, still searching for any sign of entrance. Everything was exactly as I’d left it months before. I slipped the key into the backdoor lock and eased inside. The immediate warmth was a clear indication that the cabin had been breached.

  I took two additional steps until I heard a single noise to my left. All the pent-up rage rushed to the surface. With both hands on the barrel, I shifted to the left, prepared to fire.

  “Lorenzo! Don’t!”

  Bang!

  I heard her sultry voice shouting over the single gunshot, and everything seemed to fade to black. At that very moment, I knew that I’d fallen in love with her. Correction. That I’d been in love with her for four years.

  And because of that, I’d killed one of my own soldiers.

  Chapter Nine

  Sierra

  Terror.

  The unknown of who was outside had been terrifying in every manner.

  The trip had been harrowing given the snow and ice, but at least Dante had proven to be kind as well as communicative.

  Yet I’d worried the entire time, unable to relax, especially since Dante had continuously glanced into the rearview mirror. As if monsters were on our tail.

  As if one or both of us would die.

  Now this.

  My stomach churned, my heart beating rapidly from the tragedy that might have occurred as well as knowing Lorenzo had come to find us. As if he actually cared. I wanted so much to believe so, although I barely knew him any longer.

  I’d thought of nothing but the rugged man since being dragged out of his house. There was no rhyme or reason, other than knowing he was hiding his true self from the world.

  And I wanted to be the one to rip apart the shields of steel.

  I was a stupid girl to think fantasies could actually come true.

  My scream cut through the air the moment the gun was fired, the horrible grunting sound as Dante fell to the floor remaining like a dense roar in my ears. Everything moved in slow motion as I twisted my head from right to left. Everything was dark, the blackness suffocating.

  “Sierra!” Lorenzo bellowed out my name, his hand wrapping around my arm and allowing him to yank me against his chest.

  “Oh, my God, you killed him. You killed Dante,” I muttered, uncertain of what had just occurred, blood rushing to my head.

  “Fuck. Fuck!” he hissed then kissed the top of my head. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes. Yes... Please check on Dante.”

  “Jesus, boss. Just a couple more inches and I would be dead,” Dante managed, grumbling under his breath. “Maybe I should be glad your aim is off.”

  “What the hell is going on? Why didn’t you return my calls?” Lorenzo demanded.

  Suddenly, a light filled the room, the beam moving from my face to Dante’s.

  Dante groaned and struggled to get to his feet. I rushed to his side, trying to help in any way I could. “I’m fine, Sierra. The bullet just nicked my shoulder. Flesh wound. Trust me, I’ve had much worse.”

  Lorenzo exhaled. “I had no way of knowing what the fuck was going on. There was zero communication.” He was exasperated, something I would never have expected.

  “Sorry about that, boss, but with the storm, cell phone service was down, and I knew you wanted me to get her to safety. I thought the storm would break.”

  “And the damn power?” Lorenzo demanded.

  “Don’t bark at him,” I snapped, hearing the quiver in my voice.

  “That’s all right, Sierra. I was supposed to call in. I should have found a way,” Dante said before grimacing. “The power is on. When I saw the headlights coming up the road, I turned off all the lights and I kept watch just like you ordered.” He moved into the main room and within seconds, light floode
d the downstairs.

  Lorenzo seemed shaken, his eyes sweeping the cabin as if he anticipated there would be masked men holding us at gunpoint. “You weren’t compromised?”

  “Not a chance. I know how important Sierra is to you,” Dante answered. “I know my job, boss. I would have died to protect her.”

  I realized that the brawny soldier would have done just that.

  “We’re fine. Dante is good company,” I said as I closed the distance, allowing my eyes to fall to the gun still in his hand. “What happened?”

  “We need to talk.” Lorenzo shoved the weapon into his shoulder holster before pacing the floor. “Where’s the damn SUV?”

  “Do you think I’m stupid enough to park it in front of the cabin?” Dante said, snorting then easing his gaze to the floor as if trained to do so.

  Sighing, Lorenzo shook his head several times before walking into the living room, staring at the blazing fire. “Some shit is going down.”

  “What is it, boss?”

  “Can’t this wait?” I demanded. “He’s hurt.”

  Lorenzo exhaled, waving his hand. “See what you can find to help him.”

  I rushed into the downstairs bathroom, searching for bandages and any sort of antiseptic, fortunately finding a first aid kit. When I walked back into the living room, I could tell the two had been discussing what was going on. “If this involves me, I deserve to know.”

  Another look shared between the two.

  “I went to see your father,” Lorenzo finally said. There was such angst in his tone.

  “My father?” I asked, incredulous he’d do such a thing. I placed the kit on the coffee table, trying to steady my nerves. While my father and I didn’t necessarily get along, I knew he had to be worried that he hadn’t heard from me.

  “As I’ve told you before, there are aspects regarding this business that you shouldn’t know about.”

  “We’re talking about my father.”

  Dante took a step back, darting glances back and forth.

  Lorenzo huffed, rubbing his eyes before answering. “I think your father is working directly with the Movinos. I wanted to make certain he was aware of what was at stake if he was.”

  I knew what he was getting at. He’d used me as a bargaining chip. “You mean my life. You told my father that I belonged to you as long as he played nice.” I walked directly to Dante, peeling back the edge of his shirt and peering at the wound. Thank God Lorenzo’s aim had been off. While there was some blood, I knew his life wasn’t in danger. “We need to get that wound cleaned.” I snapped my head in Lorenzo’s direction.

  Lorenzo shot a look toward Dante before taking another deep breath. “I had to know what I was dealing with, Sierra. What your father told me and the fact I wasn’t able to get Dante on the phone prompted this trip.”

  “Why, boss? What’d he say?” Dante asked as he began to unbutton his shirt.

  The additional hesitation was palpable.

  “That his daughter had been killed inside her vehicle, the car torched with her inside.”

  I was taken aback, a shiver skating down my spine. “What?” I took a few steps closer, swaying back and forth. This couldn’t be real. “What did you say?”

  “That’s crazy shit, boss. Why would anyone do that?” Dante mumbled and I was thinking the same thing.

  Lorenzo stormed toward me, yanking my arm once again. “Are you fucking with me, Sierra? Did you make yourself bait for the Movinos? Did you father convince you to do something stupid?”

  His grip was firm, his fingers digging in. “What? No! Of course not. In case you haven’t figured out, my father and I aren’t that close. He thinks he can run my life. I say otherwise.”

  “You’ve lied to me before.”

  “I don’t think she’s lying, boss. She’s genuinely terrified,” Dante added.

  Lorenzo locked eyes with mine and for a few precious seconds, I could see all the pain and worry, frustration for being unable to find out if I was okay. In his usual fashion, he pulled me against his chest, tangling his fingers in my hair and lowering his head. The scent of him was intoxicating, the longing I felt burning between my legs.

  Every part of me was on fire, my nipples aching to have his mouth sucking on them, his fingers twisting and pulling until I cried out in pain.

  But as he curled his upper lip, I knew this wasn’t the passionate man from before. He was furious with his inability to control, to embark on retaliation for everything that had occurred.

  “I need to trust you, Sierra. I want very much to do that. How would they know where your car was? Why would they want everyone to believe you’re dead?”

  “I made a promise to you. I refuse to lie. I don’t know what happened or why my car was burned. I swear to you.” My God, I was pleading with him.

  “Boss, she’s a reporter. Did you ever think that maybe someone wants the story she was working on to come out?” Dante asked.

  Very slowly Lorenzo turned his head, glaring at his Capo.

  “I told Dante what I was working on,” I murmured, almost embarrassed for doing so, as if I’d broken another unspoken rule. It was only partially the truth. I told Dante just enough to try to get any information out of him. Dante was a true soldier, merely listening and little else.

  Lorenzo growled before turning his attention back to me. “An interesting idea.”

  “Think about it. If she appeared to be dead, no one would figure out she was still working on the story. Maybe this entire situation is much bigger than we’d anticipated.” Dante tossed his shirt, grimacing as he stretched his arm.

  “Far too many missing pieces.” Lorenzo walked toward the window, peering out. “You’re certain you weren’t followed.”

  “Not a chance,” Dante said. “You know, we could use her supposed death to our advantage.”

  “Yes. We could.” He released his hold on my arm, brushing hair out of my eyes. “I was sick when your father told me what he believed had happened. I had no way of knowing if you’d betrayed me.”

  “You automatically resort to wondering if I was a traitor, Lorenzo? You must have no one you can trust.” My words seemed to reverberate in the room, creating an awkward silence.

  “I’ve stayed alive by examining every side of an equation,” he answered casually. The man truly had no trust in anyone.

  “My God.” I took a closer look at Dante’s wound, breathing a sigh of relief. Thank God his skin was barely grazed. “I wouldn’t betray you, Lorenzo. I came to you for help because you are the only man I knew I could trust with my life. And my heart.” I hadn’t anticipated saying the last three little words, but the moment he’d walked through the door, I’d known. I loved him. I’d done everything in my power to ignore my feelings, allowing anger to be the only emotion. He’d changed me all those years ago. He’d allowed me to feel free, something that had never happened before.

  There was another moment of utter silence in the room and other than the crackling sound of burning wood, everything was almost deathly quiet.

  I grabbed a swab, pouring a hefty amount of alcohol and dabbing the wound. The large man didn’t even bristle, even though I knew he had to be experiencing significant pain. “You’re lucky,” I finally said, yanking gauze from the kit. “You should get this looked at by a doctor later.”

  Dante placed his hand on mine, squeezing gently. “Thank you, Sierra. I’ll be fine. I think you and the boss need to talk.”

  “We have nothing to talk about,” I retorted.

  The soldier refused to let my hand go. “Yeah, you do. I’ll keep watch, boss. Last weather report I heard said the storm should let up before morning.”

  I gave him a heated look, enough so he let go of my hand, even though his gaze remained pointed.

  While I wasn’t looking at Lorenzo, I could hear his heavy breathing. I added several pieces of tape to Dante’s chest and shoulder, surprised the man didn’t scream given the force I was using. I tossed everything into the kit, yan
king the soiled material and heading into the kitchen. At least Lorenzo had stocked the place with copious amounts of alcohol. It didn’t matter it was after two in the morning. I deserved a stiff drink.

  After tossing the swab into the trash, I attempted three times to turn on the light over the stove, my hand shaking so badly. I couldn’t believe that Lorenzo had challenged me in such an egregious manner. How dare the man. I wasn’t his enemy. I made a racket as I pulled out a bottle of vodka, slamming the thick cylinder on the counter before yanking a glass from the cabinet. While there was no orange juice or any other mix in the damn place, drinking the Russian substance just might calm my nerves.

  And my anger.

  I blinked back tears as I jerked off the cap, sloshing almost as much onto the counter as I managed to get into the glass. I knew my raging emotions were only partially due to the way Lorenzo had attacked me. I was supposed to be dead. Someone had actually wanted me to die. Who’d been murdered in my place?

  My hand was shaking as I attempted to take a sip, every nerve standing on end. I finally slumped against the counter, closing my eyes.

  “I never meant to hurt you, Sierra. However, a man in my position can never be too careful.”

  “A man in your position?” I managed to retort. “Do you mean a coldblooded killer?” At that moment, I wanted the words to hurt him, to cut through his thick skin like a sharp knife. I heard his footsteps as he moved closer and bristled. Every part of my body wanted nothing more than to sink into his arms, yet my mind could no longer handle the circumstances. How was I supposed to process what he’d told me?

  Lorenzo stopped within a few inches. He didn’t try to touch me or even crowd my space. But I could feel his hot breath. I could swear I was able to hear his rapidly beating heart. “When I was a boy, I asked my father to take me and my brother to the circus. I’d never wanted anything so badly. I’ll never forget the way he looked at me, as if he was amused at my question. He was always busy and attempted to send me to my room. I’d always obeyed him before simply because not doing so would mean severe punishment, but this time, I didn’t. I wanted to go to the circus so badly that I was willing to risk his wrath. So, I stood up to him, demanding an answer.”