Made Man Dante

by Liliana Rhodes

  He handed me my cell phone, watch, and wallet in a clear plastic bag. Eddie walked out of the room and I followed him down the hall as I put my watch on and slipped my wallet into my pocket. I turned my cell phone on to see if I missed any calls and saw Toni left a text.

  I’m out front in the Town Car.

  As far as I knew, Toni never drove the Town Car. She liked being driven. I thought about what Eddie said about her being upset when she left and wondered if it was true and not an act she used to get out of there.

  Walking down the front steps of the police station, I saw the Town Car double parked in an emergency zone. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself with how gutsy she sometimes was. I got into the front seat and Toni jerked the car into traffic, cutting off several cars.

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “The witness,” she said angrily. “I can’t believe who the fucking witness was!”

  She weaved through the lanes of traffic until we merged onto the freeway. With how erratic she was driving, I didn’t want to ask her anything more until she calmed down.

  “What did you find out? Do we know the witness?” I asked, but I didn’t need to. I realized the witness who claimed to see me at Capuzzo’s the day of the murder was the same person who killed our father. “You put the pieces together, didn’t you?”

  “That sonabitch killed our father! What are we going to do about it?”

  I wasn’t planning on having my sister help me. I never really considered her as part of the family business, but I realized she was exactly the person I needed to pull off my plan. I needed someone smart, someone who could control their anger and not do something impulsive. Someone I could trust. Toni was that person.

  ***

  “You’re home!” Gia rushed to the door and I caught her in my arms.

  I loved the feel of her soft body against me. The warmth that came from her and the love I had for her was enough to cement my decision about my plans with Toni. By the time Gia and I got married, the Palumbos would be history and the other families would think twice about messing with us again.

  It would make the Gambinos the most powerful crime family, but that wasn’t why I was doing it. The Palumbos forced my hand when they threatened my angel. I swore from the moment I met her that I would do anything to protect her, and I meant it.

  “It’s all taken care of,” I said.

  “And what about Vic?”

  “I honestly don’t know. They wanted him gone and he is. I don’t know if it was his own doing or not.”

  Vic Capuzzo was a good guy. Had he reached out to me to help him with his situation, I would’ve done what I could. He didn’t, and that proved to me the kind of man he was. I hoped that if they did take care of him that it was quick.

  I sat on the couch and pulled Gia onto my lap. This was where I wanted to be. It was as normal of a life as I could expect, and it was better than I could ever imagine.

  I hugged her tight as she leaned against my chest. Her hair was soft against my cheek and I breathed in her scent deeply. Even living together, I couldn’t figure out why she always smelled of orange blossoms.

  “I promise that I’ll never leave you, Gia. Even if they take me away, I’ll always be back. You can count on that.”

  She hugged me tight. “What about your nights in your office?”

  “You’re more important to me than that. You know that. I only did it for you, to protect you. I need to keep that separate to keep protecting you.”

  “But what about the color?”

  I laughed. “What do you mean?”

  “I know you hate that sunny yellow color. You could have changed it, but you didn’t.”

  “It reminds me of you.”

  “A color? How?”

  “Because no matter what I do, even if I turn off the lights and sit in the dark, that yellow is always there looking cheerful and happy. You’ve been through a lot, not just with me but in your life, and no matter what, you somehow keep looking at the positive in life. Look at how you asked about Vic. He drugged and kidnapped you, but you still saw the good in him.”

  She shrugged. “Maybe it was all those years in the convent.”

  “No,” I said. “It’s just you. You’re special and beautiful. And I was blessed that day I first laid eyes on you. Rescuing you that first night was the most natural thing I ever did, it was like breathing. You make my life worth living.”

  She looked up at me and smiled. “I love you, Dante Gambino.”

  “And I love you more, Gia Carlisi.”

  “You’re such a sap,” she said as she giggled.

  “This is what you do to me,” I said, grinning.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Gia

  Time was moving too fast. Somehow a month to plan the wedding had turned into only two weeks and I still didn’t have a dress. Toni was bringing Nonna and her mother over with the dress for me to try on. Everything else was set.

  I couldn’t believe our luck in Dante coming home so quickly after being arrested. I thought for sure they would keep him as long as possible, but things worked out for the better. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if Vic really was dead. The Palumbos were a ruthless family and as much as it saddened me, I knew they wouldn’t think twice about killing one of their own.

  Dante was completely focused on the wedding. I was beginning to think he wanted to get married even more than I did. While I thought it was great, I couldn’t help the nagging feeling I had about the wedding. I didn’t know what it was. I wanted to marry him more than anything, but something didn’t feel right.

  Voices came from down the hall into the family room where I was waiting. Jayden had opened the door for Toni, her mother, and Nonna, and I was finally going to see and try on Nonna’s wedding dress.

  I forced a smile as they entered the room. Toni was carrying a large box and looked really excited.

  “I have got to see this on you,” she said. “I’m telling you, you’re going to love this dress.”

  As the four of us went upstairs, Nonna took my hand. I felt a little odd holding her hand, but when she looked up at me and smiled, I got choked up for a moment. Something in her face reminded me of my mother, and I felt like she was there in spirit.

  Entering the bedroom, Nonna and Mrs. Gambino sat on the couch in the sitting area. Toni put the large box on the bed and pulled the lid off. Nestled in white tissue paper was the dress.

  It was ivory and made of a lace unlike anything I had ever seen before. The lace was a series of roses connected by intricate hand stitching and was softer than I could have imagined. Toni lifted the dress out of the box for me to see.

  “It’s perfect,” I said. “I can’t wait to try it on.”

  She handed me the dress and I quickly ran into the bathroom to put it on. It was a mermaid dress that hugged my curves in all the right places that gently got looser as it went down. It had delicate straps that covered my shoulders and a small train. I was lucky the Gambino women were also curvy. It needed to be taken in on some places and let out on others, but otherwise it was a perfect fit.

  I walked out and they all smiled at me. Toni clapped her hands and ran into my closet and pulled out a pair of heels. The dress was exactly what I had imagined. I was so happy to have a dress to get married in, but I still felt like something was wrong. I tried to push my bad feelings away, but they weren’t going anywhere.

  “Mom, why don’t you and Nonna go downstairs and have a snack or something?” Toni said as she escorted them out of the bedroom.

  Once they were gone, Toni closed the bedroom door and raised an eyebrow at me. “Spill it,” she said. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I said, looking away from her pale blue gaze that was too much like Dante’s.

  “Tell me. What’s going on? Are you unhappy with my brother?”

  “Oh no, nothing like that at all. I think I’m just overwhelmed. Everything moved so fast, you know, with the wedding. Just the planning an
d everything. I feel like something’s not right, but it’s probably just the rush of organizing everything. I’m sure any bride would feel worried if she was kidnapped and her fiancé was arrested all in a matter of a week.”

  “True,” she said, smiling at me. “It’s probably just that. But if this isn’t what you want, you should talk to Dante. He’ll understand.”

  It seemed crazy how quickly time flew by. As I looked at myself in the mirror, my dark hair brushing against the lace shoulders of the dress, I knew the wedding would be perfect. In two weeks, Dante and I would stand in front of our families, say our vows, and be united until death did we part.

  My stomach fluttered nervously as the bad feeling came back. What was wrong with me? Why couldn’t I stay happy? It had to be pre-wedding jitters, but it felt like more. I wanted to marry Dante, but why did I keep feeling like something was wrong?

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  Two Weeks Later — Saturday the Sixteenth

  Sonny

  I couldn’t get her out of my head. Everywhere I looked, I saw her. I was haunted by her smile, her scent, everything about her. It was a problem.

  Meeting Harper was an accident. But when I heard screams coming from Carlo Carlisi’s house, I acted before thinking. The Gambinos were known for being impulsive. It was one of the few things I had in common with my half brothers.

  With the sun glistening in Harper’s wet, dark red hair as she kneeled over one of Carlo’s children, I was awestruck. I had heard of moments where people met the love of their life, of the jolt in their heart, their mind going blank. I thought it was all bullshit until that moment when it happened to me.

  She didn’t see me. She was focused on the kid and when he sat up and I saw he was all right, I exited the backyard as quickly and quietly as I entered.

  Love was a fool’s game, and I wasn’t a fool. Why was I even calling it love? That emotion was nothing but a problem. A way to make people stupid and careless. I wasn’t going to fall in love. Especially with a woman I had never spoken to. But why couldn’t I get her out of my mind?

  I parked the black Town Car around the corner from La Terrazza. It needed to be close, but I had to avoid their security cameras. While I would have preferred a smaller, quicker car as a getaway vehicle, the Town Car had a way of blending in.

  Entering through a delivery entrance at the side of the building, I made my way to the second floor. I followed the crowd towards the chapel where the wedding was taking place.

  Draped with flowers, the chapel looked less formal than it usually did with its marble columns. People were split between both sides of the seating area. If I sat, I needed to stay at the end row so I could escape.

  Standing at the back, I spotted the groom towards the front with his best man and a few of his brothers. He was handsome with his dark hair swept back and reminded me of a classic movie star. I didn’t want any of them to notice me. I was only there for one person.

  I scanned the seated guests and found her. Toni Gambino was seated with her boyfriend close to the altar, on the end of an aisle. At least she was smart enough to not move to the middle. It was risky, but I had to talk to her. I didn’t have a choice.

  A grey-haired couple sat behind her. I didn’t recognize them and hoped they wouldn’t recognize me, either. As I approached the pew, the couple looked at me and slid over, leaving me space directly behind Toni. I lowered the kneeler and knelt so I was at the perfect height to whisper into her ear. I bowed my head and leaned close to her.

  “Everything’s set,” I whispered, knowing her boyfriend wouldn’t hear. “Two minutes. In the hall.”

  Barely moving her head, she nodded then looked at her watch. I stood and exited the pew, not turning to look at the groom. I didn’t want him to feel my eyes on him.

  Reaching the end of the aisle, I saw her. I had to blink to make sure I wasn’t dreaming, but there was Harper. Her hair was swept back and red curls cascaded onto her shoulders. She was in a dress with small colorful flowers that hugged her curves. Even though it was warm, she had on a small jacket. It was something my mother did to hide her arms, and I wondered if the woman I worshipped thought she needed to hide herself, too.

  Worshipped. What was wrong with me? I had been hanging around Dante and Gia too much. I had to stop it with that crap.

  I slowed my gait to see why she was there, and a tall man appeared and put his hand on her lower back as he steered her down the aisle. Who the hell was he, and why was she with him?

  As I watched them reach their seats, Toni cleared her throat as she passed me. The timing couldn’t be worse. Giving Toni some space before I followed, I exited the chapel.

  The marble hallway was beginning to empty as the time for the ceremony approached. Toni was already down the hall, standing by one of the balconies. She looked like she was lost in the view, but I knew better.

  “Let’s go,” she said as I reached her.

  “No, I need a few minutes.”

  “Are you kidding me? I don’t have a lot of time before Chance wonders where I am.”

  “Harper–”

  “Harper Carmichael? Anthony Santangelo’s fiancée? What, are you crazy?”

  Fiancée? I stared at Toni as the word sank into my brain. I was so busy looking at Harper, I didn’t even realize she was with Anthony Santangelo. He was a made man and a member of the Molinari family. The Molinaris were one of the oldest of the five families, each of which were represented at the wedding. He shouldn’t be messed with. But he wasn’t going to be around for much longer.

  Without a word, I left Toni and headed back to the chapel. The ceremony would start any moment now so I didn’t have much time. My mind raced as I thought about how I would get Harper away from that gavone Anthony Santangelo.

  I slipped into the chapel with my head down, trying to blend in with the rest of the guests. Snaking my way over to the pew behind Harper, I slid in and leaned towards her. I was overtaken by her scent. Vanilla. Exactly as I imagined.

  “Is there a problem?” Anthony Santangelo asked as he shifted in his seat to give me the eye.

  I hoped he wouldn’t recognize me. I made it a habit to keep myself in the background, to blend in. The annoyed look on his face said he had no idea who I was and didn’t care. I was in the clear.

  “I have a phone call for Miss Harper Carmichael,” I said. “It’s Carlo Carlisi.”

  “I’ll take it,” Anthony said.

  “No,” she said, putting her hand on his arm before turning to me. For the briefest moment, her brow wrinkled and I wondered if she did see me that day in the backyard. “Is Darla okay?”

  “I don’t know, Miss,” I said. “He only said it was important.”

  Harper stood, and Anthony let her out into the aisle before taking his seat again. She followed me into the hall and once we were out of Anthony’s line of sight, she touched my arm.

  “There is no phone call, is there?” she asked.

  My eyes met hers, and for the first time I saw her eyes were hazel. I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t thought about anything past getting her out of the chapel.

  Toni appeared and smiled widely at Harper.

  “Harper, how are you? It’s been a long time,” she said. As she pulled Harper in for a hug, I heard Toni whisper to her. “Please come with us, don’t ask any questions.”

  Harper looked at me and then at Toni and nodded.

  “Let’s go,” I said firmly.

  They followed me down the hall and as we approached the service entrance, a hush fell over the chapel. Glancing down the hall, I saw the bride dressed in white, with the faintest glimmer of dark hair showing through her veil. Our time was almost up.

  I opened the door and we ran down the stairs. For a moment I wondered why Harper would follow us, but I didn’t have time to think about it. I was just happy to have her with us. I pushed open the service door that led to the street and held it open for Toni and Harper.

  As she walked past, Harper look
ed at me again. Her eyes swept over my face and then scrunched briefly as if she was trying to remember something.

  “How do I know you?” she asked.

  Toni sighed impatiently. “We really don’t have time for this,” she said. “Sonny, you have a lot of explaining to do. This wasn’t part of the plan.”

  “I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone, Toni,” I said.

  I opened the car door for them to get in and looked back at La Terrazza. The happy couple was probably exchanging vows by now. Toni got into the car, but Harper stopped and looked at me again.

  “You were there that day, weren’t you? When Benny hit his head in the pool.”

  “Get in,” I said. I tilted my face down to meet her eyes. I needed her to know I was serious. I didn’t have time for this now.

  She slid into the car beside Toni and I closed the door and started driving. I wanted to be out of this area before it happened. I didn’t want to get stuck in the traffic it would cause.

  In the underground garage of La Terrazza were Town Cars parked by my associates. I gave them exact instructions on where to park the cars. In the trunks were timed explosives Dante had taught me to make years ago, and each car was parked next to a building support.

  As I steered the car onto the expressway, I knew we were in the clear. To the right, I could see La Terrazza in the distance standing out like a beacon. I checked my watch and as the second hand swept past twelve, a series of small explosions took out the supports on the second floor. And just as I planned, they were quickly followed by the car bombs below.

  A scream came from behind me, and I watched through my rearview mirror as Harper pressed herself against the window facing the collapsing building. As she sobbed, Toni shot me a look of annoyance as she tried to comfort Harper. I knew I complicated things by bringing Harper, but I couldn’t let her die.

  As her cries filled the car, I tuned them out. I had to fight every urge to pull over and hold her and wipe away her tears. But I knew she wouldn’t want that. Not from me. Not from the man who killed her fiancé.