“Ricardo will help him,” Salvatore said, looking worried.
“No!” She pushed away from him and went for Brando’s room.
Ricardo grabbed her and shoved her into Salvatore’s arms, yelling, “Go!”
She screamed at his brother to let her go, but he picked her up and carried her through the exit, Salvatore too big for her to stop him.
Ricardo turned to the soldiers by the wall, indicating to the double doors. “Don’t let anyone through them.” He then headed into Brando’s room. Cesare was working on his brother, the other doctor and Lisa assisting him.
“How much time do you have left?” Ricardo asked.
Cesare looked up, a frown creasing his brow. “I can’t take the bullet out; it’ll cause more damage if I do. You just have to pray he can live with it.”
“Is that possible?”
“Sì, although it’s rare.”
“Then we better move him, the Landi are coming. There’s going to be a battle.”
Cesare looked back down at Brando. “Just give me a minute to seal the wound. I’ll finish it off at your compound.”
Nodding, Ricardo’s gaze moved to the clinic doctor, who kept flicking his eyes up at him. Ricardo sneered at the bastardo, wanting to kill him for endangering his loved ones, but then again, he could always use him as a shield.
Cesare finally finished. “Okay, let’s go.”
The soldiers picked up the makeshift gurney, carrying Brando out of the room. They all headed for the double doors that led onto the reception. Yelling and gunfire came from outside, signaling the Landi’s arrival. Ricardo swore, hoping that Salvatore had gotten their mother and Valentino out in time.
“Get Brando back into the room now,” he ordered the soldiers.
The soldiers backed up, heading for the room with Lisa and her father, the clinic doctor going to follow them. Ricardo’s hand whipped out, grabbing a hold of the man’s arm. “Not you, you’re my shield, Landi sympathizer.”
The doctor yelled out, screaming at Ricardo to let him go. Ricardo pulled out his gun and placed it to the man’s head. “Shut up or I’ll shoot you.”
The doctor went still. “I di-didn’t do-do anything wrong.”
“You called the Landi on my brother, and don’t try to deny it, the redhead told me what you said.”
“I was forced to.”
“You were forced to do nothing!”
“The Landi instructed me to phone them if any Santini, Donatelli, or Rosso turned up.”
“Valentino is Pirelli by name, so you risked his life for nothing.” Ricardo moved his hand to the doctor’s throat and pushed him into the wall, anger bubbling forth. The doctor clawed at Ricardo’s hand, trying to get free, the man choking.
The shooting outside grew closer. Ricardo loosened his grip on the doctor’s throat, his attention now directed elsewhere. He indicated with his gun for his soldiers to move forward. “Check what’s happening.”
One of them pushed the door slightly open. “Our men have fallen back into the clinic,” the soldier said. “They’re keeping the Landi outside at the moment.”
“Go help them,” Ricardo said.
The man slipped through the doorway. The other soldier took up position in front of Ricardo, ready to protect him.
Ricardo threw the doctor on the floor. “Don’t move or I’ll shoot you.” He pulled out his phone and keyed in Salvatore’s number. His brother answered instantly. “Are you safe?” Ricardo asked.
“Sì, we’re on our way home. I’ve called in backup for you. Our soldiers won’t get there in time, so the Orsini are on their way to help.”
“Bene, because we’re under fire. Our soldiers are keeping the Landi at bay for the moment, but I don’t know how long they can hold out. Brando’s still in here, along with Lisa and Cesare. How long will the Orsini be?”
“They should be there any moment now.”
“Ring them; tell them they’re walking into a battle. We need them prepared.”
“I told them to have their guns at the ready.”
“Bravo. I’ll see you soon, brother.”
“You better, Ricardo, because if you die, I will come down to Hell and kill you again.”
Ricardo barked out a laugh. “I’ll be seeing you either way, then, and good luck with keeping our madre from killing Valentino.”
Salvatore laughed, his voice going serious a second later. “I love you, brother. Live for me.” He hung up.
Ricardo pocketed the phone, hearing more gunshots. No, it was machinegun fire. He prayed it was the Orsini and not the Landi. “Check through the doorway,” he ordered the soldier.
The man pushed one of the doors open a fraction. “Some of our men are heading out of the clinic.”
Ricardo smiled. “The Orsini must be here. Phone through, double-check.” He bent down and yanked the doctor to his feet, making sure the man didn’t try to escape.
The soldier pulled out his phone. Several seconds later, Ricardo got a reply, confirming his thoughts. “Most of the Landi attackers are dead, only a couple getting away. Nero has sent men after them,” the man said, referring to the soldier in command.
“Bene! Phone Nero back, make sure he deals with the polizia if any show.”
The soldier nodded, dialing on his phone again.
Ricardo shoved the doctor to Brando’s room. They entered, finding Cesare fixing Brando’s bandage.
Cesare glanced up. “Is it safe now?”
“Sì, but we need to leave in case the Landi cowards return with reinforcements. Get Brando to a vehicle.” His attention returned to the doctor. He pushed the man face first into the wall and pulled out his gun, placing it to the bastardo’s head.
“No, Ricardo!” Lisa yelled.
“Don’t worry; I’m not going to kill him.” Ricardo placed his mouth next to the man’s ear. “Unless I see you again.” He struck the man across the back of the head with his gun. The doctor collapsed, making Lisa cry out. She rushed over to him. Ricardo grabbed her arm and pulled her to the door. “Be grateful I didn’t kill him. Now, let’s go.”
18
Ivy slipped into Brando’s room, her mind on the man who’d taken her. She didn’t know why she needed to know more about him. She should want him dead, for that bullet he’d shot into his head to have sent him to Hell...
...but she didn’t.
The sound of his pained words to his mother rang through her head, followed by his gun firing. Ivy’s gaze moved to his cabinet. Family photos lined the surface. Ricardo’s words returned about Brando being the son of Davido D’Angelo.
Brando had killed his own father.
Something she couldn’t have lived with.
She’d loved her father with all her heart, but cancer had stolen him from her. Yet, at least she hadn’t been robbed of knowing him, as Brando had been with his father.
Ivy stared at the image of Brando next to his family. She wondered how he couldn’t have known he wasn’t one of them. Not only did he have different colored eyes, his facial features were too beautiful to be a Santini.
“How can you look so angelic, yet be so evil?” she muttered.
She ran a hand over her stomach, wondering whether he’d gotten her pregnant. If he had, she would keep his child, because abortion was forbidden in the sisterhood. Or maybe Ricardo could’ve gotten her pregnant? She’d taken both brothers raw, but then again, Ricardo hadn’t come inside of her, whereas Brando had. Had he purposely taken her so he could live on through a baby, knowing that he was going to die?
She focused on his photo again, hoping he survived. She sneered. Because she wanted to punish him for what he’d done to her. She needed him to live so she could take revenge...
...not because she wanted him.
She swore, wondering why the bastard fascinated her. She was wildly attracted to Ricardo, so she didn’t need to look at Brando—no matter how beautiful he was. She’d already decided what would happen: she would have Ricardo, Menna wo
uld take Salvatore, D could have Vinnie, while the rest could fight between the remaining brothers.
She laid the photo on its front, knowing what her sister would say, or had said about her choice in men, in particular, her ex.
‘Why can’t you stay away from Sasha?’ Menna had said. ‘He abuses you, yet you keep going back for more.’
‘He makes me feel alive.’
Menna had shaken her head. ‘You always pick the bad ones.’
‘And you pick the evil ones. Guess we’re both as pathetic as each other.’
And they were. Menna had fallen for the Black Russian, while Ivy had fallen for his favorite guard. Yet, the Black Russian had murdered their sister and mother, while Sasha had fought against her during the battle, not caring how much she loved him. Bastard! She wanted to find him so she could put a bullet into his evil heart—like she would do to the Black Russian.
She lifted the photo of Brando back up, then slammed it down, knowing she needed to kick her obsession with bad boys. Ricardo was for her, not Brando, because the wicked ones always crushed her.
She headed for the door, stopping as her phone rang. She pulled it out of her uniform pocket and clicked it on. Before she could speak, Pedro Landi’s voice came over the line. “Where are those girls? I told you to bring them to me.”
“There’s been a shooting in the house. As soon as things calm down, I’ll get them to you,” she said, the last part a lie.
“No, bring them now. Those fucking Santini attacked my men.”
“What happened?”
“My soldiers were ambushed at a clinic. Those Santini stronzi killed eight of my men, only two escaping, so get me those girls and kill any Santini you come across. I’ve activated my other spy. He’s going to set off bombs in the house, which will give you enough of a distraction to get them out. Hurry, the first of the explosions will be detonating in ten minutes.”
“Where are the bombs?”
“The main lounge, an upstairs bedroom, and in one of the offices, so get out now, my men are coming.” He hung up.
She quickly rang her sister. As soon as Menna picked up, Ivy started rattling off instructions, “Get all the Vipers to the Santini compound ASAP. Bombs will be going off in the house shortly. Take out all Landi. They will be wearing fatigues.” She hung up, switching her phone off before her sister could argue with her, time now a ticking bomb.
She ran out of Brando’s room and headed for the girls’ room, intent on getting them to safety. She charged inside, finding it empty. She swore and rushed out, yelling, “Get out of the house! There are bombs!”
She headed down the staircase, hearing doors open behind her. She yelled again, “Get out. Bomb attack!”
The young gay servant, who’d been walking towards the back of the house, stopped, his frightened eyes going to her. She rushed over to him. “Where is the lounge bomb?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, backing up.
“Liar.” Ivy grabbed his arm and yanked him to her, putting him in a headlock, the servant too short and skinny to fight her. “Keep still or I’ll snap your neck.” She loosened her grip slightly as he stopped struggling.
Noise came from above. Anna was ushering her three children down the staircase, followed by Salvatore’s wife with her two kids.
Anna stopped in front of Ivy, fixing her with a hard stare. “If this is some sort of sick joke—”
“It’s not.” She indicated to the servant, who was now whimpering. “He’s a Landi spy, he’s activated three bombs.”
“I did not!” he yelled.
Ivy tightened her grip on him. “Last warning, shut your mouth or I’ll snap your cowardly neck.”
He went quite.
Ivy refocused on Anna. “I’m a Black Viper sent in to protect your family. I just got information telling me there are bombs upstairs, in the office, and lounge. The first will go off in less than ten minutes. Everyone needs to evacuate, no questions. Just do it.”
Anna turned to Salvatore’s wife, pushing her children towards Rosa. “Get the bambini to the bomb shelter; I’ll activate the fire alarm.” She took off into the kitchen, while Rosa ushered the five children out the back door. The fire alarm went off a second later. Anna exited the kitchen, yelling for her husband. Sergio appeared at the top of the staircase with Anna’s crippled sister in his arms. He descended the stairs fast and headed out the back with his wife.
Servants and soldiers emerged from other parts of the house. Ivy forced the spy outside, following them to the twins’ studio on the far side of the courtyard. The twins appeared in the doorway, pushing against the flow of people. One of the tatted-up brothers had colorful bruising on his face and bandages around his ribs. He was dressed in boxers, looking like he’d just gotten out of bed. She recognized him as Vincenzo, or Vinnie—what she’d heard his family call him. The only difference between him and his twin was their hair and the fact that Vinnie didn’t have piercings, the reason she knew which twin he was.
He yelled at everyone to get into the bomb shelter. Ivy was impressed they had one, but then again, they were the Santini, so they must’ve expected a threat like this to occur at least once in their lifetime.
She walked up to him and shoved the spy into his chest. “He’s the one who planted the bombs.”
Vinnie yelped. Ivy realized her error too late, the man clearly injured. Still, to his credit, he wrapped his arms around the spy, holding the scared servant tight.
He fixed Ivy with a hard stare, looking like he was assessing her. “Anna said you’re a Black Viper. How do I know you’re not setting us up for the Landi?”
“You don’t, you just have to make a judgment call, but I can tell you this, more Vipers are on the way to help your family. We’re here to make an alliance, not to kill you, pretty boy.”
Vinnie sneered at her. “Then I’ll let you live—for now.” He turned and shoved the spy inside the studio, his twin following him in.
“How gracious of you,” she muttered, glancing at her watch. “Four minutes and counting!” she yelled as more people raced past her.
Valentino’s daughters came running from the back of the property. The sisters were wearing swimwear, with towels wrapped around their torsos. A young boy followed them, along with another of the brothers, Luciano from memory, both of them dripping wet and wearing trunks.
A different boy shot out of the studio, running in the wrong direction, yelling, “My teddy!” Salvatore’s wife emerged next, screaming at the child to come back. Dominic followed close behind, shoving people out of the way to get to his nephew.
Ivy pulled out her phone and called through to Menna. She needed to know what was happening on the outside so she could determine her next move.
D’s voice came over the line instead. “We had to double round. There’s a huge convoy heading your way, Landi vehicles. The compound’s going to be under fire in less than five minutes.”
Swearing, Ivy hung up and ran for her room, retrieving the weapons from her suitcases. She transferred them to a backpack, then shot out of the servants’ quarters, ready for battle.
***
Bianca ran down the staircase with a towel wrapped around her dripping wet body, the fire alarm having pulled her out of the shower. Her eyes were stinging from the shampoo, but she didn’t want to stop, the sound of panicked voices telling her this was not a drill.
A child shot past her, racing up the staircase, the little boy quicker than the Flash. Rosa followed him, screaming at her son to come back. Dominic overtook Rosa, yelling at Bianca to get out, that there were bombs in the house.
Bianca continued down the staircase. As she rounded the corner, a loud boom sounded in the distance, making her run for the front of the house. She opened the door, seeing numerous Santini soldiers swarming the front yard. They were jumping into armored vehicles, probably heading for the billowing smoke on the horizon.
One of the soldiers called out to her. “Get to the bo
mb shelter!”
“Where is it?”
“The twins’ studio.” He slammed his door shut and took off after the other vehicles.
Bianca headed back through the foyer and into the lounge. She stopped halfway across it, the sound of a crying child pulling her attention to the staircase. Dominic was running down it with his nephew in his arms, Salvatore’s wife not far behind. He yelled at Bianca to get out as he passed her. A second later, a loud boom enveloped the room, the explosion lifting her off her feet. She cried out as she was flung forward, hitting the floor hard. Something landed on top of her, making her cry out again. She covered her head as debris and ash rained down, the air smelling of smoke.
After several seconds, she uncovered her head and turned over, jolting as Rosa rolled off her. Salvatore’s wife was staring up at the ceiling, not moving, blood coloring her strawberry blonde hair. Bianca felt the woman’s neck, coughing as ash fell around them. She breathed out in relief when she found a pulse, although it was faint.
She got to her feet and fixed her towel, then grabbed a hold of Rosa’s arms, pulling her towards the back door, the lounge looking like a warzone. A child’s cry made her stop. She let go of Rosa and turned, finding Dominic lying face down on the floor. Rosa’s son was trying to get out from underneath his uncle. Bianca rolled Dominic off him and helped the little boy up, Rosa’s son still clutching his teddy bear. He was a miniature replica of Salvatore, his big blue eyes filled with tears.
“Run to the bomb shelter, bambino,” Bianca said, indicating to the back door. The child remained still, crying for his mother.
Praying that Dominic was still alive, Bianca picked up the boy and ran outside with him. The black-eyed maid shot past her, disappearing through the back door. Bianca continued onwards, her eyes set firmly on Vinnie as he emerged from the studio.
“Dominic and Rosa’s been hurt,” she said. “They’re in the lounge.”
Panic filled Vinnie’s face. With a hand on his ribs, he headed for the main house.
Bianca carried the little boy to the studio’s doorway, stopping as Sergio Rosso appeared, asking for Rosa.
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