Innocent (Omertà Book 1)

by Anna Widzisz

  No one would probably care if she stayed home but it wasn’t an option. The goal was to be as far away from Severo as possible. Otherwise, Lynette would surely get into another fight with him.

  Pretending like nothing happened. Like her life hadn’t come crashing down in a matter of seconds. Her engagement and marriage were pushed aside to the darkest corners of her subconscious. Locked up tight. At least that’s what she would rather believe for now.

  As soon as she appeared in front of Jason, it was obvious that he held off on telling her how bad she looked. Which, as a brother-by-choice, he usually makes a point of doing. Not this time.

  Lynette knew that he wasn’t a part of the plan to marry her off. The man was as surprised as her. She’d heard the conversation the Consigliere had had with his Capo late in the night.

  “I couldn’t count on your rational decision, and that you would advise me as it lays in the Famiglia’s best interest. You’re my Consigliere for a reason, but let’s not pretend that you wouldn’t mention it to my daughter beforehand. For that alone, I’d punish you rather harshly. So, I don’t want to hear any disagreement on your part. You answer to me, not Lynette. Loyalty lies on my side. You’re very well aware of the fact that I don’t like how she relies on you. She would hate me if I ever did something to ruin that. I trust you with her, Jason. But if I see that your intentions are not as platonic as they seem, you will wish not to have been born. Or so help me God.”

  Jason holds an important role in the Famiglia and he should have been the one to negotiate with Marco Falcone. Yet, Severo wouldn’t let him anywhere near the arrangement. For a good reason. But Lynette wished Jason could be a part of it. Maybe then, she wouldn’t be in such an awful situation.

  It wasn’t a make a wish kind of thing. Simply because she wasn't dying.

  Not yet at least.

  § § §

  The girl had no regard for the consequences. She always obeyed. But not this time. She was done with this day and it had barely even started. The need to detach herself from reality was growing with every minute. Taking a walk around the park had been an exciting idea. One that to anyone else was just a simple decision, to her it seemed like a forbidden fruit. And she was eager to bite.

  Even though it was already October, the weather was not bad in regards to Seattle. There was a cold wind, but no rain to stop her from grabbing a cup of coffee and strolling through the park.

  “I know that we met on Christmas Day,” she heard a man’s voice.

  Her natural reaction was to turn around without taking another glance and run as fast as she could. But before doing it, she realized whose voice that was.

  Drew was standing in front of her, smiling slightly. Looking at his clothes, she realized that she didn’t take any jacket with her, not considering that she wouldn’t go to classes.

  “I worry that you cannot dress for the weather,” he indicated, referring to her hardly suitable clothes back on in December.

  Lynette glanced at him curiously. He seemed to remember their meeting better than she thought. “I didn’t plan on going for a walk,” she admitted truthfully.

  “Guessed as much. The school is the other way.”

  He was much too cheerful for her bad mood, and those two shouldn’t be combined. Not now. And probably not ever. The last thing she wanted was to take her anger out on someone innocent.

  The boy extended his hand. They’d met but had never officially introduced themselves. “I’m Drew,” he said.

  She took it. ”Lynette.”

  For someone so closed off to the outside world, she didn’t mind his company. Which came as a surprise to her. Normally she would brush him off so as to avoid any additional rumors on her account. She didn’t.

  The wind blew making her shiver so she exhaled loudly to conceal it from Drew. It surely didn’t throw him off. He took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She didn’t expect such a nice gesture from anyone. Let alone a boy she went to school with. The gossip surrounding her had always acted as a good preventive measure.

  She bit her lower lip. “Now you’re in just a hoodie.”

  Drew shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not cold. It actually got really hot as I was walking here,” he told her.

  Lynette regarded him. “You just lied to me.”

  “Why would you think that?”

  “Because it’s true? You didn’t look me in the eyes as you said it. Let alone the fact that your palms are red,” she noted, taking his hand up to show him that there was no use denying it.

  He regarded her. “You’re really perceptive.”

  She shrugged not knowing what to say. It was the goddamned mafia world that had made her this way. Lies didn’t fall far from the Made Men’s occupation. More often than not it was impossible to detach one from the other. It helped her learn many things. Specifically, when someone avoided her, lied, or hid the truth. A school of hard hits itself. But that wasn’t something she could tell Drew. She left it unsaid.

  Drew realized that she didn’t wish to continue the topic. So he dropped it quickly as not to drive her away. It was the first time she didn’t seem to want to run away from him and actually spoke to him. Lynette needed to occupy her thoughts with something light.

  “You’ve never skipped school before, have you?” His voice was smooth, warm and deep. She braced herself against the tree, shaking her head.

  He didn’t need much to figure that out. He saw the unease with which she repeatedly gazed at her phone, checking whether someone had noticed she hadn’t gone to classes.

  She was always meant to follow rules. That much was sure by a single glance her way.

  “Is it that obvious?” she asked and smiled.

  “I can be perceptive, too.” He nodded, winking at her. It made her chuckle.

  Lynette thought that Drew believed he had her all figured out. Long, auburn hair, rarely present smile, Sicilian. All of it wrapped up in mostly thought-through words. It wasn’t hard to realize that she was a bookworm and a rather observant at that.

  But that wasn’t all there was.

  They strolled down the path toward the center, where the fountain was. It felt different when she wasn’t with anyone who was her father’s soldier. Being with a boy who had nothing to do with her everyday world was refreshing. Almost pure.

  “You have an accent. Where are you from?” she asked.

  Drew chuckled. “Mine is not as interesting as yours, to be honest. Italian is rather compelling.”

  “Sicilian,” she corrected him. ”For us, Sicily and Italy are two different countries. It’s better to take it into account. I don’t mind that much, but you might meet someone who doesn’t share my opinion.”

  The boy nodded putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “That’s good to know.” He smiled. “And to answer your question, I’m from New Orleans.”

  “I have never been there. How is it?”

  He shrugged. “Just another normal US city. Nothing major. And I don’t miss it.”

  “Why did you move here? Seattle has horrible weather most of the time.”

  “My mother was offered a job in Europe. I didn’t want to go with her, so I moved in with my father.” Drew grinned.

  “Your parents are divorced?” she asked but shook her head almost immediately. It was none of her business to ask someone such a personal question. They didn’t know each other well enough. “Don’t answer. I shouldn’t have asked.”

  “I don’t mind. Yes, my parents split up. They were rather awful as a couple. Didn’t get along well and fought a lot,” he admitted. ”But they are amazing as my parents and ended things on good terms, so I have nothing bad to say about it. As long as they’re happy, I’m alright.”

  It wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. Most of the kids whose parents got divorced didn’t take it well. However, Drew seemed to actually mean his words. “Besides, now I have two families. My mom found a guy. Andrew is pretty great and loves
her. Also, my father remarried and now I have a sister.” He smiled widely.

  Lynette saw the adoration in his eyes when he mentioned his sibling. Pure love. It was fascinating. “Tell me something about her,” she encouraged him to continue.

  Drew signaled to sit down by the fountain. The girl nodded and rested down on the cold stone, pulling her legs up.

  “Her name is Sophia. She’s five years old. Quite a lot to handle at times. I swear that she has more energy than anyone I had ever met. We have some modicum of peace when she decides to draw.”

  “She seems wonderful,” said Lynette, feeling at ease.

  For the very first time, she didn’t have a care in the world. And it was all thanks to the boy next to her.

  She took a sip from her already cold coffee and put the cup down. “What about you? Do you have siblings?”

  “No. I am an only child, unfortunately.”

  It was true. She would love to have a sibling, but just thinking about having a brother who would become a Made Man made her shiver. Another boy trained to be a monster. She didn’t wish that fate on anyone. “But I would rather not talk about my family if you don’t mind.”

  Drew nodded. “So, the only other thing I discovered about you is that you like reading.”

  “That I do.”

  “I don’t read a lot. Mostly for school purposes. But even that is quite rare. However, I did read Pride and Prejudice recently. I hope it’s not your favorite book because, to be completely honest, it was a nuisance.”

  She was curious as to why he thought that. “Do tell.”

  “I mean, Mr. Darcy was a douche. He was always horrible towards Elizabeth and she accepted it rather easily. Liked it after some time even. She fell for him, for some odd reason.”

  “That is the irony of life, really. Not just in this book. Situations like that happen all the time. People live in toxic families, get into unhealthy relationships.”

  Drew regarded her with a smile. It was different than on Christmas Day. But Lynette couldn’t put her finger on what had changed her perspective that much.

  “People who should lose always seem to win. No matter how cruel and manipulative they are. And the good ones are left to write those stories, hoping that it can be the justice they should have received.”

  It seemed as if they weren’t talking about the book anymore.

  “I would never be able to live like this. Always second best, without any appreciation from someone important for me. Just because they are family. Or loved ones. A true feeling cannot be tamed. It’s better to let go of something that deep down you know is bad for you.”

  Lynette thought of her family and her life. “It’s not always possible. Some people don’t have the pleasure of having a choice.”

  She didn’t have a choice. Not once in her life had someone asked her what she wanted or needed. It was always about the Famiglia. Everything revolved around money and power while she was just a mere piece of the equation. Family was important for every Sicilian. But the Famiglia was just as important, if not more. The feelings of a single person didn’t matter.

  Her feelings didn’t matter.

  Those were the extremes that she was made to survive in. To learn how to function in them was the main priority for girls like her. And natural for men. But she knew it all too well and didn’t mistake the concept of family for what she had.

  Not anymore.

  Accepting the topic of toxic relations as a finished one they moved on to talking about random things that didn’t hold any genuine importance. For Lynette, being around Drew came as effortlessly as breathing. That was a new sensation for her. Never before had she imagined being able to keep up a conversation with someone for so long without feeling vulnerable or trying her hardest to hold back the worst parts of her life. Away from the Famiglia. It seemed almost too good to be true.

  The girl’s phone rang. She snapped out of the trance that she’d fallen into. Looking at the time, she realized that it had already been twenty minutes since her classes finished. Jason had been calling her. He must have been anxiously waiting for her in front of the school.

  Lynette got up rapidly and explained to Drew that she must return right away. Reaching out over her shoulders, she took off the jacket giving it back to the boy. Then she rushed through the park, feeling a sense of deja vu. She was going to be in major trouble for skipping classes. That much was certain. She assured Jason that she would be there in a few minutes. The tone of his voice made her realize that there was no use lying to him. The Consigliere already knew of her absence. He seemed distant and furious at the same time.

  As she saw Carnovale’s car, she gulped down and steadied herself. She could only pray for her survival in the upcoming confrontation. Climbing into the passenger’s seat, she was greeted with a deafening silence. They took off so roughly that the girl had to grip her seat to maintain her stability.

  “What the fuck have you been doing Lynette? Are you out of your mind?”

  The silence broke as soon as they turned onto the main street. The man burst out, not holding back. His eyes were almost black with fury, and he could hardly keep himself together while driving. For them to crash was the last thing they needed.

  Lynette swallowed. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t feeling well and couldn’t bring myself to go to the last lesson, so I went to the park to relax,” she lied through her teeth. And for the very first time, it was to make Jason believe her.

  Carnovale looked at her from the corner of his eyes and snorted.

  “You should think twice before saying that to me. That’s pure bullshit, Lynette. Your lies are going to catch up to you. You could have told me that you didn’t want to go to classes. Instead, you only fucking waited to jump at the first possibility to be alone and do whatever the hell you wanted.” He shook his head slightly before continuing, “You broke all the rules I wanted you to respect. I wanted you to be honest with me no matter what. I wouldn’t have held you responsible no matter what you said. I am your guardian whenever you’re outside the house. Do you even realize what could have happened to you?”

  “You’re being way too dramatic now.”

  And…. she should not have said that.

  Jason speeded up. ”Am I? Lynette, taking into consideration the position your father holds, I don’t think I am too dramatic. You disrespect the rules and me at the same time. Wake up and see what’s happening around you. Don’t act like a princess because you’re surely not. Mafia Princess, that’s all but a joke because for that you’d need to consider the privileges that you hold, as well as responsibilities.”

  She seethed. “It’s not your life that’s about to change,” she screamed, tears welling up in her eyes.

  “Marriage is not the end of your fucking life. You were born knowing the rules that you were bound to. It’s ironic that I have to remind you of that.”

  Jason appeared furious with her for the first time. He usually held his composure well enough so as to conceal his inner demon around her. He’d never even come close to raising his voice. If he hadn’t been driving, the remnants of his self-control would be most likely gone. The girl knew that. Not to aggravate the situation even further, Lynette decided to stay silent throughout the rest of the drive.

  § § §

  “Severo, what should I do with Anderson?” asked Jason coming into the kitchen late in the evening.

  Lynette was sitting at the table in the dining area doing homework. Her father hadn’t come to dinner so she’d eaten alone and decided to stay and keep herself occupied. As long as Severo didn’t desire to keep her company. She was in no state of mind to be anywhere near her father. The fight she’d had with the Consigliere made her feel even worse.

  “He’s in the living room,” she whispered, but her words were drowned out by her father’s loud response as he appeared in the room.

  “Take him to the basement and call Badea to come to help me when he’s done with his work. It’s going to be a long nig
ht.”

  How fast things could change in the Famiglia.

  Yesterday, Anderson was no one of importance to Severo, considering the many conversations she’d been able to hear. And today he was taken to the house probably to be tortured. The invitation being extended to the lead of enforcers and Jason suggested one thing - the man would not make it out of the house in one piece.

  From unknown: I believe this isn’t how your father raised you. Good girls don’t play truant.

  The message appeared on her phone’s screen, making the blood in her veins run cold. Was is Drew? Or who else?

  It could no longer be just a joke.

  CHAPTER 7

  Lynette

  It was almost four in the morning and Lynette was still wide awake. She knew that there was no way for sleep to claim her that night. Besides, in two hours she would have to wake up anyway. Most of the night was spent on researching ideas on how to trace the phone number that was being used to send her messages. There was always the possibility to give it to her father’s soldier as a task but that was bound to end badly for her. That’s why that particular move was out of the question.

  She didn’t manage to achieve her goal which frustrated her. To let off some steam, Lynette always tried working out at the home gym. Heading to the opposite side of the house, she saw two guards. They regarded her curiously as it was not her habit to wake up so early. But it was their job to be attentive when the daughter of their Capo was concerned. She greeted them with a simple nod. It was still strange that her father’s soldiers would stay in the house throughout the night. They mostly kept guard outside patrolling the area.

  The gym was the furthest room situated in the north wing. Pushing the doors open, she stepped into a huge sports area. There were exercise machines, a shelf in the far corner with various equipment, mats spread across the floor for fighting purposes and a punching bag that Lynette decided to use today. She had kept Jason company many times as he’d trained here whenever he’d had some business to take care of with Severo and some time to spare in between the meetings. His go-to seemed to be boxing exercises. It was supposed to be the best kind of workout for most Made Men. And this time, Lynette tried to see the appeal.