“He never killed innocents.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “No? What do you call the woman he killed with a car bomb? She had nothing to do with this.”
He smirked. “Car bombs aren’t Enzo’s style. On the other hand, the Irish love them. You might want to look a little closer, Little Morelli. You put your trust in the wrong people. We had nothing to do with blowing up that lady.”
“Who did?”
He crushed the cigarette under his shoe and grinned. “Your family aren’t as innocent as they seem.”
“What are you saying?” I was so confused.
“And you’re supposed to be the smart one.” He smacked me in the head with the gun. “If you look close enough, you’ll figure it out.”
“Stop being so cryptic. What the fuck do you want? If you were going to kill us, you would have done it by now.”
“The beef between Enzo and your old man started over a plot owned by Carlini Construction.”
A chill ran through me. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Your girl’s old man, he had something to do with it. He played his part. Now, she has to play hers.”
“Stay the fuck away from Gia, or I’ll hunt you down and kill you and every member of your family.”
He laughed. “You talk a good game for someone with a gun to his head.”
I smirked. “Pull the trigger, motherfucker. You think I’m scared of you. I’m not afraid to die.”
We both knew he wouldn’t kill me. This visit was another message for my father.
He took a step back, and the man with the knife to Sonny’s throat pointed the gun in his other hand at me. The asshole in front of me pulled the clip from my gun and then tossed the pieces on the other side of the alley into a pile of trash. Then, they took off toward a car that rolled down the street.
By the time I pulled the gun at my ankle and ran to the edge of the alley, the car was halfway down the street.
“Fuck,” I yelled, blowing out a puff of air.
“Was he saying what I think he was trying to say?” Sonny was at my side with his gun in hand.
“I have no idea.” I leaned my shoulder against the wall and scanned the dark street. “All I know is we need to find out.”
Sonny ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “You know what else is weird about all this? Dom is nowhere in sight.”
I ground my teeth together, my jaw about ready to pop. “Fucking traitor.”
“I think we should keep this to ourselves for now, don’t you?”
I contemplated his question, a brief pause passing between us. Could I trust the word of a man who held a gun to my head a few minutes before? I didn’t trust anyone but Gia, Ma, and Sonny. But I wondered if the men I’d never seen before were on to something. My stomach turned at the thought of being on the wrong side of this war.
Was my father the real enemy?
Chapter Twenty-Three
Gia
Crossing over the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, I held the wheel, my fingers wrapping around the leather like a vise. The latest beef with Enzo had me unraveled. I feared for Angelo’s life. I didn’t know enough about his business to understand the full extent of the damage. All he’d told me was that it was bad, the fallout devastating, and placed me under twenty-four seven surveillance. He said not to trust anyone. I never did so that was easy. The only people I trusted were my father, Angelo, and Sonny.
In the midst of the drama, Angelo Sr. had summoned my father and me to the Morelli house in South New Jersey for dinner to celebrate our upcoming nuptials. With a few hours’ notice, he’d called on a Sunday, of all days, to schedule a time and place to speak about the wedding. I was afraid if I took too long to pick a date that Angelo would be six feet under. Our future was uncertain. Nothing about our lifestyle was safe.
“Are you okay with all of this?” I asked my dad, who was staring out of the window deep in thought.
He turned to look at me, scratching the dark stubble on his chin. “I knew this day was coming since you were a kid.”
“You didn’t answer my question, Daddy. Are you okay with me marrying Angelo?”
“I gave you my blessing.”
“But you would rather we pulled away from the Morellis, and I married someone else. Right?”
“I won’t lie to you, sweetie. I would have chosen someone other than Angelo for you to marry. At one time, I honestly believed his father would let him go to college and stay out of the family business.”
“So did I,” I confessed. “I was so sure Angelo Sr. would change his mind.”
“I should have known better.” My dad’s face scrunched in anger. “In all our years of friendship, he never went back on his word. He gave Angelo a way to be with you and still be part of the family business. I guess you should be lucky you had Angelo with you at school for the past seven years. If Angelo Sr. had it his way, he would’ve pulled Angelo from high school and had him doing his bidding long before now.”
“Angelo started working for his dad in high school. They were small jobs, but still, he was always in some way invested in their business.”
“Be smart,” he said. “Be careful. I already lost your mother over this turf war. I will not lose you, too.”
“You won’t. Angelo will take care of me.”
We still had no clue who had set the car bomb that killed my mom. Angelo tried to find the person responsible. Every trail led him right back to Enzo, who they still couldn’t find. He’d gone into hiding along with what was left of his crew. When some of them were dumb enough to resurface, Angelo or one of his family members killed them and made a spectacle of their deaths.
Following the directions from the GPS, I drove for a while until I pulled up to a tall wrought iron gate concealing a massive Italian villa-style mansion. A large M swooped through the middle of the fence. The high shrubbery surrounding the perimeter made it difficult to see up the long driveway. Angelo’s father bought the estate when we were mid-way through college and moved the entire family. It was for their safety. The Morelli compound was one of the safest places in the country.
I leaned out the window and pushed the button on the intercom. “Lorenzo and Gianna Carlini. We’re here for dinner.”
With my hand out the window, I waited until I heard a buzz, and the gate slowly moved inward. We drove onto the property lined with red chestnut trees, and a Tuscan-style house spanned the massive lot. A four-car garage was to my left, private verandas were on the upper floors, and the grand entrance was on my right. Several expensive cars were spaced along the multicolored pavers.
I parked at the front door, and two men come up to each side to help us out of the car. Two more men in dark suits were waiting at the main door, one of them holding it open for us as we walked into the house. The interior of the home was incredible. Words couldn’t begin to describe its beauty. Various shades of yellow, brown, and white, combined with rounded archways, high ceilings, and terra-cotta tiles, gave the house the feel of Italy. The attention to detail showed in the artwork and the careful placement of each piece.
Another man led us down the long hallway and into a room that boasted a large dining table. At least thirty people could sit comfortably, and by the looks of it, close to that were there waiting for our arrival.
He cleared his throat to announce our presence, and the laughter and chatter died down. Angelo’s brothers sat to the left of his father at the head of the table with Angelo on his right.
Angelo, as always, looked impeccable in a dark suit, with his wavy black hair styled, some of it brushing along his forehead. All of the men in his family looked like the Don and were incredibly attractive. But Angelo, with his big blue eyes which popped against his olive skin, was beyond words.
Surrounding the Don, like courtiers waiting to kiss the ring, were Paulie and a few dark-haired men who I knew from holidays and family functions. They were Made men, soldiers in Angelo Sr.’s army. His people loved him, unlike his predecessor
, Joe “Scags” Scaglione, who the Don had forced out of the organization when we were kids.
Over the years, my dad had told me a few stories about the Mafia wars that had occurred before Angelo Sr. took over as the head of the Philadelphia crime family. He’d mentioned their beef with the Irish had started over drug trafficking which had settled down once he worked out their issues. Despite his need for revenge, the Don was a good boss, a good businessman.
Among Angelo’s brothers were cousins from his father’s side of the family. Closest to me, a few of Angelo’s aunts rose to their feet and kissed each of my cheeks. Their husbands and children greeted me in the same fashion. It was hard to keep track of everyone with all the hugging and kissing I did by the time I reached the end of the table.
Angelo got up from his seat next to his father and laced his fingers through my hair. Holding the side of my head, he whispered in my ear, his breath warming my face, “You look beautiful, Gia.”
I smiled. “And you look handsome. In a bad boy rough-around-the-edges kind of way.”
He laughed, a smirk tugging at the corner of his sexy mouth. I wanted to taste him. Our lips were so close I struggled with not kissing him in front of everyone.
I glanced over at Ma, who was coming out of the kitchen with a smile and a baking dish in her hands. She waved to us once she set the dish on the table and welcomed us into her home, speaking to us in Italian.
Mr. Morelli, the Don himself, stood when he saw us and stepped out from the table. Despite the aura that surrounded a Mafia boss, he was quite pleasant even though I could tell there was a quiet storm behind those deep brown eyes.
He took me in his arms, embraced me, and kissed each of my cheeks. I wasn’t a fan of Angelo Sr., but I could tolerate my soon-to-be father-in-law. As he released me, I glanced over at his brothers who were now standing next to him.
“Hey, Gia,” Marco said to me. He had his black hair gelled into short spikes that looked cute on him. When he hugged me, Marco smelled spicy and manly. He was the nicest of Angelo’s older brothers.
Pete was a downright asshole. I cringed when I had to greet Pete in the same fashion as the rest of his family. Knowing how sick and twisted he was made my skin crawl.
Don Morelli clamped a hand down on my dad’s shoulder, pulling him close. They spoke in hushed tones I couldn’t make out. My family had shared meals with the Morellis more times than I could count. I grew up sitting next to Made men. We were even at their house when a few of their guys were arrested. Whether I liked it or not, these people were my family.
Angelo steered me toward my chair, and Sonny was there to pull it out for me to sit. Angelo held my hand on his lap until dinner was served. Something was off in his body language. Sonny spoke to Angelo in a manner that suggested they were worried about something. I felt their unease around the family. They knew something, and they didn’t want to tell me. Whatever Angelo was hiding made me nervous.
I wasn’t marrying the man.
I was marrying the family.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Angelo
The entire night was a sham, a rouse to lure Lorenzo out of hiding and into our home. My father gave the toast to welcome Gia officially into our family. Her father gave one, too. She was already my family, whether he’d wanted to accept it before or not. There was talk about friendship and family. I had no idea what to make of the fucking show our fathers had put on for everyone. Lorenzo asked my father to let him go, and he did. But that lasted for all of a few months before he was pulled back in.
After dessert, the house slowly cleared out. A few of my father’s closest friends stayed behind to get some extra face time with the boss. I sat with Sonny on one side of Gia and me on the other. She looked uncomfortable, maybe even sensed it in my demeanor, but she never spoke a word of it.
A while later, my father disappeared along with Lorenzo. It made me anxious. I had no idea who to believe after that night in the alleyway. Information was hard to find when someone was willing to pay enough to hide it.
Paulie came up from behind me, his thick cologne filling my nostrils. He bent down to speak into my ear. “Come with me, kid.”
I pushed my chair out from the table, and Gia gave me a worried look. Sonny began to follow suit, until Paulie held out his hand, telling him to stay. I shot Sonny a pained look. He knew to take her home. Something was off about the night. We both felt it.
For most of our lives, Sonny had loved Gia. I was almost certain he was ‘in love’ with her. If anyone would die to protect Gia, it was Sonny. I trusted him more than any man I knew.
I kissed Gia on the forehead. “Go with Sonny. Don’t argue. Just do it.”
She stilled in her chair, her body growing rigid. I saw the complaint on her lips, though she kept it at bay.
“I love you,” she whispered, and I mouthed it back to her.
I tapped Sonny on the shoulder and walked away, wondering what my father was up to.
Even though I knew the way, Paulie escorted me into the basement. Seated behind an oak desk, with Lorenzo in front of him, I cringed from my father’s hardened gaze. He sat with his hands folded on top of the wood and a look of death in his eyes.
Leaning back in his leather chair, my dad loosened his black pin-striped tie and tugged on his collar. He motioned for me to take the chair next to Lorenzo. Paulie sat on my right. I was sandwiched between them, with my father pinning me down with his cold brown eyes.
Dad glanced at Lorenzo and smirked. “I’m ready to collect the favor you owe me.”
“What do you want?” The pain in Lorenzo’s voice was evident.
“The parcel of land where my son found you, give it to me.”
Until then, I wasn’t sure if my father had a hand in Lorenzo’s disappearance. I should have known better. He was a snake, a man who would do anything to get what he wanted. What was so important about that property? To me, it looked like nothing more than a massive tract with industrial machinery on it.
Lorenzo narrowed his eyes at him. “Give it to you? Haven’t I given you enough already? Haven’t you spilled enough blood?”
The Don held out his hand to silence him. “You should consider yourself lucky I’m only collecting on the one favor you owe me.”
Lorenzo sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers. “Lucky? I committed the worst sin imaginable to repay you. We were supposed to be friends. We’re going to be family. Is this how you treat your family?”
“My family is smart enough not to cross me. They have a role. They play their part.” He looked at me. “They do as they’re told.”
I had seen with my own eyes how much Lorenzo owed my father. He handed his soul over to the devil a long time ago. My father had taken his time asking for favors. He staggered his requests to keep from drawing too much public attention, but in recent years, the number of business deals Lorenzo had entered into at the Don’s behest was growing.
My dad folded his arms over his chest as a knowing look was fired off in Paulie’s direction. Paulie responded with a nod. They had communicated something I had yet to understand.
A few moments of uncomfortable silence ensued before my dad removed a white slip of paper from the top drawer of his desk. He slid the paper in Lorenzo’s direction, shutting the drawer with his other hand. His behavior disturbed me.
Lorenzo stared at the paper for far too long before he picked it up. He read the words several times with a defeated expression on his face. My father owned him. He knew it. There was no running from a man who had everything.
“No,” Lorenzo said, crumbling the paper in his hand. He threw it on the desk in front of my father.
His lip curled up in anger. “How dare you deny my request after everything I have given you?”
“We’re done here.” Lorenzo stood, kicking his chair behind him.
My father pushed himself up from behind the desk, meeting Lorenzo’s gaze.
They engaged in a stare down.
&n
bsp; Lorenzo turned to leave.
I thought my father would stop him, but he let him go, leaving me in the lion’s den.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Gia
After the engagement dinner, Sonny drove me home in complete silence. His body was stiff, his movements almost robotic. Not until we got to my house did he relax. Sonny walked me up to my bedroom, waited outside while I changed into my pajamas, and then sat on my bed with me.
“Why are you acting so weird?”
He looked away from me and sighed. “I’m not sure what to think anymore.”
I tugged on his shoulder to get him to look at me. “Talk to me. I’ve known you as long as Angelo. Don’t shut me out. You’re the only real friend I’ve ever had.”
He smiled and slipped his fingers between mine. “I don’t know what to tell you, G. Things are different. Times are changing. Some things I can’t tell you for your own good.”
“I hate being shut out. If I’m in danger, I would like to be made aware of the thing I should fear most.”
“Hey, we’re not shutting you out. Angelo doesn’t want you involved. Don’t take it personally.”
“I want to be included if it involves me.”
“You know the proverb, ‘curiosity killed the cat?’”
I nodded.
“Well, I don’t want you to be the cat.”
I laughed, even though being in danger wasn’t funny, and leaned my head on his shoulder. “You always know how to make me feel better, Sonny.”
He hugged me with one arm around my back. “You chose the wrong friend that day at the playground.”
I glanced up at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I thought you would end up with me instead of Angelo.”
“Real friends only come around once in a lifetime. I think it was better this way. I like having you as a friend.”
Sonny lifted me up so I was on top of him for a second, before he moved me to the other side of the bed. Still holding my hand, he scooted up so he could prop himself up against the headboard, bringing me with him.
The First Sin (Sins of the Past Book 1) Page 15
