by Anna Widzisz
Drew’s involvement with Lynette might just be the biggest obstacle at that point. Mark didn’t want to get his son involved in the investigation process. Getting acquainted with the mafia was rarely a good move and Drew was walking dangerously close to that path. He had to stay away from Lynette Selvaggio.
“Did you learn anything about the murder?” Erin asked, returning with a plate full of food. She put it on the table. Drew was grateful he hadn’t been the one to start that conversation.
The man shook his head in response.
“You surely found something out. Anything.”
It was the boy's turn.
“No, we don’t know anything. This is just the first day, and murder cases are not that easy to solve. Especially this one.”
“Why?”
There was a moment of silence.
“Because of Lynette?”
“Because it's a murder case without any connection to the crime scene, a weapon, or a total lack of witnesses,” he answered and carefully looked at Drew. “And you have to stay away from that girl. I'm deadly serious.”
Drew frowned. “Why? You just said you don’t have any evidence that she’s involved in David’s death. Lynette discovered his body. That's all.”
“You can’t be sure. And even if it was, she’s not the girl for you. Find other friends and leave her alone.”
Drew got up from the couch and grabbed his laptop.
“Until you give me an honest answer, don’t count on it.”
He left the living room without so much as an ounce of regret.
Seattle, Washington 2014
The deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation was handed a case file on the Seattle Famiglia. It held all the information about the business that the organization was supposed to be involved in. All the associates, the structure, friends of the Selvaggio family, buildings and companies that were under their protection and the reports on the movements that took place. Everything from the past five years.
Supposedly
There was hardly anything certain in those documents. At least not enough to build a reliable and airtight case against the Famiglia. Severo Selvaggio was an incredibly intelligent and powerful man, who knew exactly what to do and and how to keep the organization’s true business as hidden as possible. Everyone could say many things about his ways of work, but even though they were cruel, terrible and most of the time inhumane, they were also extremely effective.
A new piece of information was lying on the top of the file. It consisted of the photo of Jason Carnovale, who’d started working for the Capo a few years back, and was supposed to become a new Consigliere. A shocking and quite daring move made by the boss. Such an important position has usually been given to people within the Famiglia and even if Carnovale had been initiated and became a soldier, no one would think of making him the Capo’s right hand. He was a Sicilian but still an outsider as far as the Famiglia was concerned. However, as the last Consigliere died in a street shooting, Severo needed a new one.
The deputy picked up his phone. ”Connect me to Mark Ryder.” He said to his secretary and waited for the signal
After a few seconds he heard a deep, male voice. ”Mark Ryder.”
”Tell me something more about Carnovale."
”There’s not much we know. He was born in Sicily and his parents as well as grandparents were Selvaggio’s associates. His mother died at childbirth, father got killed while in the field. Grandparents raised him mostly but they both died from old age.” The agent explained
”What was his father doing?
”From what we know he was a debt collector for the cartels in Marsala. Grandfather, however, had many businesses around Sicily and earned a lot of money. Everything was under Selvaggio’s protection.
Deputy frowned. ”Then how is he supposed to become a Consigliere? Selvaggio is a man of traditions, isn’t he?
”I wouldn’t say that. After the organization had been moved to the States, he started changing things up. His daughter doesn’t have bodyguards, only drivers and goes to public school. Sofia Selvaggio goes places by herself from time to time. From what I gathered, Emilio Meccuci is supposed to take over the Capo’s position if anything was to happen to Severo. It’s not the usual mafia style.” Mark replied clearly fascinated by the change of events. It contradicted to everything criminal organizations were known for.
”Carnovale is young. Too young honestly. So I want you to keep an eye on him. He might make mistakes because of this.”
”We try. He is also close with Lynette Selvaggio and we thought of getting to Severo through her. If she was to testify against her father, it would be all the proof we might need. No one would undermine her words.”
”That’s not such a bad idea. Keep me posted, Mark. And don’t let me down this time. We should have found out what Carnovale’s initiation was all about and we still have no clue. Right now I expect you to report everything he does. Either him or Lynette might be the way to go.” Deputy ordered and hung up.
CHAPTER 13
Lynette
All hell was about to break loose as soon as Lynette came back home. Severo called all the important people for a meeting - his captains, enforcers, and soldiers to give each of them a task. He wanted to keep his daughter away from the murder case, but at the same time, he had to keep the police away from the Famiglia. Even though there were no emotions visible on his face, it was only for show, so that no one would question his decisions as Capo.
It was unusual to hold such a meeting in their house, but at this point, it was the safest place, without any bugs or unnecessary people around them. Whenever Lynette left the kitchen, she could hear a lot of voices coming from her father’s office down the hall. The meeting had been extended and soon they were supposed to leave for the engagement dinner.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t canceled or moved to a different date, which was the only thing Lynette believed could be a good outcome of the whole murder situation. They had many problems right now and it was far from ideal to add to the already high-stress level.
Severo had said that additional safety precautions would be needed in order to keep Lynette safe. Now more than ever. He didn’t mention her proposition to marry Jason, which was equal to it being rejected.
“Have you heard about my conversation with padre?” She asked Rosalia as she watched her clean the kitchen counter.
The woman nodded her head but cut off the upcoming questions, saying that Severo will probably want to talk about it with her later. Judging by her reaction, Lynette was worried. Scared even.
Then Jason appeared in the hall, which surprised Lynette because she’d been certain that he would be taking part in the meeting. As a Consigliere, he should be there.
The man looked different than usual, but she couldn’t put her finger on why that was exactly. His eyes went to meet Lynette, but instead of coming up to her, he greeted Rosalia and headed further down, towards the office.
She wouldn’t have it. Too long she’d been ignored and she’d had enough. Getting up, she went after Jason, which met with her housekeeper’s disapproval.
“Can you tell me why the hell you’re not talking to me?” she asked, making Carnovale stop at once. He turned around, clenching his fists. He was furious, his expression closely guarded.
“We shouldn’t be talking. Your father doesn’t want it.
Lynette snorted. “Since when do you care?”
“I’ve always cared about what my Capo wants. His word is law.” He turned around to leave without any explanation, whatsoever.
“My proposition was fair. It’s a wise move for goodness’ sake.”
He stopped. “Fair? Try stupid. That’s what it was. Yesterday, I was sure of my position, and today everything’s changed, Lynette. You could have told me before you went to your father.”
The anger written all over his face made the girl step back. For the first time, she was afraid of him. But she still hoped that he wo
uldn’t hurt her and kept digging the grave even deeper as if it wasn’t meant for her.
“You didn’t want to know about my plans. You said it yourself. I was on my own with the marriage situation. Well, I found a way out. So why on Earth isn’t it good enough?” she paused. “I know that we are friends and I am much younger than you, but if I’m being honest, I am the only girl you are even remotely able to treat right. You know it as well as I do.”
“Lynette, you didn’t find a way out but a way to ensure my certain and very painful death at the hands of your father. And don’t mistake my behavior as anything more than kindness. You’re my Capo’s daughter. I could hardly treat you badly. We’re not friends.”
Jason’s words felt like a knife to the heart. He didn’t want to have anything to do with her anymore. It felt like standing by the abyss. Like she was losing someone all over again.
Her eyes became watery and she turned around to walk to her bedroom, not wanting to break down in front of him. When the door closed behind her, she slid down to the floor and started crying once again. She wanted to believe that it was nothing of importance, that it was going to solve itself out.
Nothing major.
It seemed like pushing her demons back into their cage was the only option left for her. Instead, her tears continued to defy logic and ran down her cheeks even more relentlessly, her frustration and sadness refusing to be locked away.
A long time had passed before she heard a knock on the door and remembered tonight’s upcoming engagement dinner. Holding back her emotions seemed to be the only way Lynette was going to survive it all.
Wiping the tears off, she rose from the floor and opened the door to find a worried Rosalia. As soon as she saw the girl’s red, puffy eyes, she reached out and hugged her tightly. The conversation with Jason hadn’t been the quietest one so the housekeeper had heard it, and it didn’t take her long to realize that it was the main reason for Lynette’s behavior.
“Are you alright?” she asked, pulling back a strand of hair from the girl’s face. A shaky nod was the only reaction Lynette was capable of at the moment. Words would fail her for sure. “Your father wants you to come to the living room. He needs to talk to you before we go out for dinner.”
There was a slight annoyance on Rosalia’s face, suggesting that she wasn’t sure how the conversation with her father would go. Lynette wasn’t either, which made her uneasy, but she made her way out of her room anyway.
There was not only Emilio but also Corrado who was one of the enforcers of the Famiglia. He’d always been one of the most frightening people to Lynette. One look at him and you knew he wasn’t one to mess with. For her, even talking to him was out of the question. Bowing her head to say hello was as far as she would ever go. His dark, almost black, eyes were completely focused on her, which made the girl even more stressed. His presence couldn’t be a good sign. Doing the bloody work for Severo, he mostly ever came to the house for the darkest of tasks. He never stayed. So why was today different?
“Sit down, figlia,” ordered Severo. He was sitting behind his desk, palms resting on the arms of the chair. “We have to discuss a few things,” he continued.
“I hope that my proposition is one of them,” she said before she could bite her tongue.
It was unwise on her part to throw the words out so carelessly. Especially in the company of her father’s soldier.
Severo grunted, indicating that he thought the exact same thing. It was a warning disguised by his unfavorable expression. But he didn’t say it openly. “What did Jason say to you? When did he propose the marriage?”
That was a question and a suggested answer. Lynette knew this trick almost too well. Her father often used it with his soldiers. He gave them the opportunity to explain themselves, but the answer was already placed in his mind. It was adding up to an even crueler punishment for every mistake made. And because the girl already knew what he wanted to achieve with his tactics, she wouldn’t be an easy opponent.
Dio santo!
She froze. At once she realized what was wrong with her proposition. What she’d got herself, and most of all Jason, into. Severo was sure that his Consigliere had proposed her marriage to improve his position in the Famiglia. Probably as a new Capo soon enough. They thought he was a traitor, which shouldn’t have ever happened. Lynette had to turn it around as quickly as possible before Severo gave the order to execute him. She finally understood the reason for Corrado’s presence. He would do the deed.
“Padre, Jason didn’t know anything until I told you this morning. I believed it to be a reasonable proposition. I cannot ever imagine him wanting to take your place. Because that’s what you think, don’t you?”
“Do not cover for him. You might be friends, but you’re my daughter, and you can’t hide such important things from me. What’s more, Jason is my soldier and his main duty is to me.”
“I’m doing no such thing. I’m telling you the truth. Jason is loyal to the Famiglia. He’s always had your back and he would never betray you. You have to believe me, padre.”
“Why would I? After all, you don’t tell me everything. You lie, cover things up, even when you know how dangerous they can become. Today you saw the effects of your decisions. You’re suspected of murder.”
“I’m suspected of murder by default, padre. I’m your daughter. That’s what made me a target, not my decisions.”
Making Severo angry would be easily counted as a bad move. Especially when he held power over Jason’s life. And Lynette wasn’t making it easier, but after all the crap that had been thrown her way she was more than a little temperamental towards her father. Which had never been the case before. But Severo responded to power. As much as he wanted to be the one everyone feared, he hated submissive behavior all the same.
Seeing as her father was nowhere near wanting to say anything, she continued, “I know I let the gossip go too far. But that’s all on me. Do not blame Jason for something that he wasn’t a part of. He treats me as his little sister and it has always been this way. He doesn’t want this marriage at all. I just thought that it would get me out of marrying Noah.”
Silence fell upon them. It had never been a good sign with Severo. If the Capo considered killing his Consigliere, a man he’d chosen because he was trustworthy, it could cause an uprising. If people found out about it, her father would have to show strength and deal with the possibility of being dethroned. No matter what his personal feelings were. That’s why he wanted to do it before anyone got the chance to hear about it. Some would say that if a person who hadn’t been born in the Famiglia could reach for power, anyone could, and soon Severo would have to crush down more rebellions than he wanted.
The only thing that still gave Lynette a sliver of hope was the fact that he’d decided to ask her about it before killing Jason. He didn’t let his emotions get the best of him for once. Which was a show of respect towards his Consigliere. No other soldier would receive the same consideration.
“You will never interfere with my business again. Next time you’ll have to live with the consequences and, believe me when I say, if you play the Jason card like this again, I will make you watch him die. Now go change. We have to leave soon.”
She swallowed the objection, knowing that it would be her last anyway. She had nothing left to fight with. The only good thing was that she’d saved Jason’s life, judging by Severo’s dismissive gesture towards Corrado.
And Lynette would soon be officially engaged to the monster that was Noah Falcone.
§ § §
“Your mom would be so proud of you,” said Rosalia, looking at the girl with tears in her eyes as she was standing fully dressed in front of the mirror. She had a baby blue dress on that slid down from her shoulders. The end reached her knees as was suitable for a Mafia Princess. Everything was covered in silk and lace so that the look would be pure but still enough to make Noah see her as more than a sixteen-year-old girl. Lynette had the body for it but wasn’t used
to wearing things like this even though her curves filled it perfectly. She felt uncomfortable and put on display, which was most likely the point. She could already imagine the looks she would get from all the men that would be attending. It made her sick just thinking about being the center of attention.
Lynette shook her head. “I’m not so sure she would. There’s nothing to be proud of when it comes to this marriage.”
Rosalia objected. “I’m not talking about that. I meant that you’re becoming the woman your mom raised you to be. Just look at you.” She walked up towards the girl, brushing her long hair from the shoulders.
Lynette looked exactly like a young Sofia Selvaggio. The same brown eyes, small freckles, nose, and most of all, the smile which the girl had adored to see on her mother’s face so much. She felt warmth flooding her body just by thinking about it. She had the exact same one even if there weren’t a lot of opportunities to show it anymore.
Her mom had been a wonderful person. One in a million. Always nice to everyone, cheerful, and ready to help if necessary. Extremely intelligent, too. It inspired Lynette to be the same. Until suddenly, the Selvaggio family had to welcome sickness into their home. Sofia became depressed, her words were no longer optimistic and she rarely smiled. She changed dramatically in a matter of months. Even the visits to the psychologist and the medicine weren’t helping. Most of the time, Lynette had seen her mom in bed, sleeping more than fifteen hours a day.
