Reign of Desire, page 12
“You got it,” he replies. “I know this sucks.”
“Yeah, but in the long run, Josie is better for Mia and Mara than the poor excuse for a mother who was going to sell her daughter to better her own position.” I know this is something I can live with. I’ve given my sisters closure and taken care of a loose end.
Next on my list is Gaetano.
Aldo has Gaetano hoisted and tied to a meat hook. He’s lost a lot of blood. A poor excuse of a man who was once a great leader. Problem is that he allowed himself to be led by his dick. It’s always been his one vice. His sons have just arrived. Aldo cleared them yesterday, and it’s obvious they have no idea what their father was up to. I want Gaetano to explain why he’s in the position he’s in.
“Go ahead. Tell your sons why this is the end you’ll have,” I order.
Through labored breaths, he recounts his part in Germano’s plan. He tells them about Angela, the Russians, and how he set his sights on Josie, and how he was going to take Mara as a consolation prize. Mauro, his younger son, drops back to prop himself up against the wall in utter disbelief. Vito is looking at his father with new eyes filled with disgust.
“You did that for pussy? You not only risked your life, but mine and Mauro’s. What you do reflects on us.” I’m surprised when Vito turns to me and says, “I wish I could be the one to end him, but I can’t.” He looks at his brother, who is still in shock, then back to me. “I have to take care of my family.”
“The reason you’re here is so that you understand that this is a grave offense against our family. Personally, I think he’s getting off easy considering what he was thinking of doing to my wife.”
“What can we do to help?” he offers.
“Germano is in hiding. I need him found and brought to me. Preferably alive.”
“Mauro and I will get on that.” He turns back to his father. “May God have mercy on your soul.” He grabs his brother and leaves.
“I’m sorry,” Gaetano croaks out. His breathing is ragged. I motion to my man to finish it. He slits Gaetano’s throat.
The final goodbyes have been said. I’m left to tie up one other loose end: bringing Germano to justice, the way of Il Destino.
SEVENTEEN
Confessions
JOSEPHINE
It’s been nearly a week since my father disappeared and the girls moved in with us. Last night, we got the news that Elenora was found on the beach in St. Bart’s, dead from a heart attack. The girls broke down at the news, and I spent the night comforting them, while Alessio arranged for his private plane to bring back the body.
With Mara and Mia grieving, it’s up to me to see to the arrangements. We make a good team, Alessio and I. By the end of the evening, we have everything sorted, and have made arrangements for a quick burial.
I wait for the girls to fall asleep before I slip out of their room. Alessio is still in his office, so I think that a fresh pot of coffee might be in order. I knock before entering. His head comes up when he sees me at the door with a mug in hand.
“Just what I need,” he says with a smile, taking it from my fingers and setting it on his desk. He pulls me onto his lap.
“How are you doing?” I ask. He’s been especially quiet since this all went down. I’m not an idiot; I know that Elenora didn’t have a heart attack. I also know that as much as Alessio would rise from the depths of hell to protect the family, including killing those who are a threat, this must play on his mind.
“I gave her the opportunity to make things right with Mara and Mia. For that, I made her death as quick and painless as I could. There’s no forgiveness for a traitor and no place for redemption with Il Destino.” I love that he doesn’t treat me like some airhead and shares what’s real.
I place my palm on his cheek and kiss his lips lightly. “Mara and Mia will be all right.”
“I know. They have a real woman to guide them through their adult life now. A woman who puts the needs of others before her own. Selfless, honest, loyal. They have you.” Even as he says these lovely words, a lump forms in my throat. Tears threaten to fall.
“Thank you,” I manage to choke out. I let out a breath and say, “They also have a strong man to teach them how they should be treated.”
“I’m an animal, a monster, gattina. I make no bones about it.” I start to speak, but he places a finger on my lips to silence me. “Hear me out. I’ve fought for the right to rule this family. I fought the old ways, the older underbosses, and convinced them to see our future differently. I fought the stigma of what my father had the rest of the families believe about Il Destino. In order to do that, I had to claw, bite, and shred the enemy apart to make a name for myself. I make no apologies for it. The other option was to be killed by someone stronger. To be capo was my destiny. With this, I have to be honest and say that your father, when he’s found, will suffer greatly at my hands.”
I’m not sure how Alessio expects me to respond, but I stun him into silence when I say, “I love you.”
He blinks, then stares at me, utterly speechless. When he finally opens his mouth, he says, “What? Did you hear me?”
“I did. I don’t have a father and never did. A father buys you ice cream, picks you up from school, buys you toys, or even if he can’t do any of that, he holds your hand when you’re scared or consoles you when you’re sad. My father was a sperm donor. And for years, I wished he hadn’t done that. I wished I didn’t exist. I was just a tool to use when he needed something or someone to do his bidding. It didn’t matter that I was beaten black and blue. In fact, there was a time when I didn’t hide the bruising very well and he told me to do a better job next time.” I shuffle on his lap, looping my arms around his neck. “I don’t care what happens to him. I do care about what this is doing to you. If you think that this will make me love you less, you’re wrong.”
“You love me?” His voice is low.
“With everything that I am.”
“How can that be?”
“I just do. I think I have since that day you came back with a bullet in you. I was terrified for you, and when you looked in my eyes while Lucia took out the bullet, I swear I fell in love with you then,” I confess.
A hand slides up my back, pulling me down so that our foreheads are touching, then very quietly, he says, “I love you too. And I’m sorry, baby, but it’s not something I’m going to say often. I fell in love with you years ago. You were too young then, and when you grew up, your father had already pushed you off to Aurelio. I’m sorry. I should have fought for you then.”
“You couldn’t have. We had too much working against us. We can’t go back, only forward.” I press my lips to his in a soft, sweet kiss.
“I want to give you everything.”
“All I need is you.”
That night, Alessio makes love to me slowly, passionately. It isn’t just making love. He worships my body with his mouth, his hands, and words of promise, of love and commitment. If I wasn’t already in love with my husband, I would have fallen madly in love after this night.
Alessio
My soldiers are surrounding the area at the cemetery. The prominent and senior members of Il Destino are here with their families. More importantly, my sisters and the love of my life are here. The girls stand between Josie and me, holding hands. Josie has an arm around Mara, and Mia is leaning into me.
The priest keeps the funeral brief on my request. I want this over and done with. Out of respect, those in attendance come to offer their sympathy and words of encouragement to my sisters. I keep my signature stone face firm and graciously thank them.
I have Matteo and Fern accompany the girls back to our limousine to wait for us. As we make our way there, Josie stops, looking like she’s seen a ghost.
“What is it?” I ask, peering off in the direction she’s staring.
“He’s here.”
“Who? Where?” I whip my head around, not seeing anyone.
“My father. I feel him.” She turns to me. “You have to believe me. I get this feeling whenever he’s nearby. I’m telling you, he’s here.” She raises her voice, clearly distraught.
“I believe you, gattina.” I call out for Julian and Eros. “Josie thinks she saw Germano. Do a sweep of the grounds and leave a couple of men to see if he shows his face after we leave.”
With Josie safely in the car, I can breathe easier and so can she. Josie puts on a brave face for my sisters and keeps them engaged as I make some calls on the way back to the house. As tradition dictates, we’ll have mourners come to the house. It’s not something I’m looking forward to, especially knowing that Germano is out there, but it must be done.
Mara and Mia are busy with Valentina and her mother, giving me the chance to pull Josie aside.
“Did you actually see him, baby?”
“I saw something move from the corner of my eye, then I got this eerie feeling. It sounds ridiculous, I know, but—”
“I trust your instincts,” I assure her, and I do.
It’s more than an hour later when Bruno calls. “We’ve been hit. Germano and three men came to the house. I have Mona and her mother in the safe room. I took one out and have one tied up. Germano and the other guy got away.” He pauses. “I’m hit.”
“I got help coming.” I keep Bruno on the line while getting Joe to call for reinforcements. He runs down every detail before I ring off. Unwilling to leave Josie tonight, I send Niccolo to get what they can from the man they caught.
Everyone’s gone, leaving Santina and Josie to tidy up. Mia and Mara jump right in as I monitor video from the surveillance cameras surrounding the house.
When I see Niccolo’s name on my cell, I pick up immediately. “It seems that Germano has run out of time. The Russians are willing to make a deal. Bruno got the son of an important man, and they’re willing to make the trade.”
Normally, I would tell them to fuck off, but the longer this goes on, the worse it’ll be for Josie. “Fine. Make the trade. Our territory. I want people in position. We’re not leaving anything to chance. We send the location only when we have everyone in place.”
“They want you there. They say you’re a man of honor. They’re coming with minimal men, and they want your word that they’ll be able to leave safely.” They’re smart, and they know that I pride myself on my word.
“Fine. Get your ass back here. You’re the only other person I trust with my family,” I tell him.
“You can’t go alone,” he insists.
“I’m not leaving them with anyone else.”
“Matteo—”
“He’s young.”
“He’s the right man. I trained him myself.”
“Christ!” I shout into the phone.
“Trust me!”
“I can’t lose her. She’s my everything,” I confess.
“Matteo would lay his life down for them. I swear to you.”
I let out a heavy breath. “I’ll get him up to speed, then I’m on my way.”
Niccolo knows my feelings for Josie, but this is the first time I’ve ever expressed them in words. It seems that confessions are the theme of the week.
EIGHTEEN
New Beginnings
ALESSIO
The wheels are in motion, and the Russian soldier rides next to me. His hands and feet are bound and his mouth is taped. I want this done.
I left Josie watching a movie in the surveillance room with Mara and Mia. Matteo has made them as comfortable as possible, but he decided he wanted to have his eye on the entire place, and this was the best way to do that. I need Julian and Eros with me tonight, but I know Matteo will keep them safe.
Niccolo gives me the sign that the Russians have arrived. Two Russians soldiers step out of an armored black Hummer, followed by a man who is their leader. I step out of my vehicle and walk toward them, stopping halfway.
“Apart from the fact that we’re on opposite sides, I’m pleased to meet you, Alessio Cassini,” says the man in the deep blue tailored Armani suit. He would be a formidable opponent in hand-to-hand combat. He’s a monster of a man, as tall as I, with a beefy frame, slicked-back blond hair, and the most unusual blue-gray eyes. His calm tone and matter-of-fact demeanor tell me that he’s here to get this done.
“It seems I’m at a disadvantage. You know me, but I don’t have your name,” I reply.
“Andre Kiev, and the man you have is Jorge, my younger brother.”
“I’d like to know if I’m to expect the same forms of attack after this trade. You’ve taken great pains to kill an innocent woman.”
“Nyet. We had nothing to do with that. Your man made his own arrangements with rogue soldiers. They have since been disposed of. My promise to you is that we work in our territory, and you work in yours.”
I don’t know that I can believe him, but I’m willing to take the risk to get my hands on Germano.
“Let’s do this.” Our battle with the Russians isn’t over. I’d be a fool to think otherwise. Tonight’s mission is to restore harmony with Il Destino. With the last of my father’s cronies out of the way, we can look to the future and adapt to the new ways to build our businesses. Are they all legal? Fuck no! But we won’t be selling children as sex slaves, and we can build a network of power instead.
As Andre signals to his man, I do the same with Nic. Jorge is silent as he walks toward us, relieved to see his brother. Germano is bartering for his life as he’s being hauled out of the car. He’s always been the man to talk a big game, but when he was put to the test, he needed to rely on his men to see him through. My father loved him because he fed his ego. Germano was Dad’s puppet. When my father died, Germano knew he was in trouble because he’d be expected to perform.
Andre extends his hand, and I take it. “Jorge is impetuous and was trying to make a name for himself. He’ll be dealt with. Younger brothers can be a handful.” He snorts.
Niccolo grabs Germano and throws him into the backseat.
“This has been surprisingly pleasant,” I say. And it truly has been, thankfully.
Andre lets out a roar of laughter. “I wish you luck,” he says, jerking his head toward our car.
I wait for them to drive off, then signal my men on the rooftops that we’re done here. My next call is home. “Matteo, we’ve got him.”
The final blow is removing our tattoo from his chest with a blowtorch, then inserting an iron pin into his heart. It’s a slower, more painful death. One that Germano has earned tenfold. That’s after I struck a blow for every year of Josie’s life that he abused her. For making her marry a man unworthy of her love and devotion. I cut off his dick and stuck it up his ass. I remember the way Josie cried in my arms when she told me how many times she was raped by Aurelio.
I showed no mercy and sat in a chair and watched as Germano drew his final breath, and even then, I didn’t feel like justice had been served. His blood soaked my clothes. My hands were crusted with it. Niccolo stood beside me the entire time. Even some of my hardest, most bloodthirsty men had to leave the room from time to time. I might have imagined it, but I thought I heard a couple of them puking their guts out.
Even seeing him dead doesn’t alleviate my rage. I kept hearing Josie’s words about a father buying ice cream, protecting her, and know she wasn’t living, just barely surviving for all those years.
After a while, Niccolo clasps a hand on my shoulder. “Go home, brother.”
“Not like this.” I can’t go home covered with blood. I’d scare the shit out of Josie.
“Let me take you to the apartment. You can shower there and have a stiff drink before going home and telling Josie.”
“Yeah.” In silence, we drive to my apartment. I go directly to the shower and stand under the hot water, letting it wash away the blood. Water is miraculous and can wash away many things, but not my sins. God knows, Germano is not the first man I’ve killed, and I also know that there will be many after him. My soul belongs to the devil, but my heart belongs to Josie.
Sadly enough, killing her father wasn’t the worst part of this experience. The worst will be telling Josie what I’ve done. Even though she says he meant nothing to her, he was still her father. Dressed in a fresh suit, I come back to the main room to find Niccolo holding a goblet of brandy. A second one sits on the table.
He passes me the glass. “Suck it back. Give it time to calm you, and then I’ll take you home. Before you ask, Matteo is walking the upstairs hall and all your women are fast asleep. He even said, and I quote, ‘All Josie wanted to know was if Alessio is safe. When I told her yes, she smiled and said she was going to bed.’ She didn’t ask once about her father. Never mentioned his name.”
I find solace in his words as I take a seat beside him. I sip from my glass and let the smooth burn of my hundred-year-old brandy slide down my throat. “You got out the good shit,” I joke with him.
“I thought this night deserved a proper ending,” he says, jostling his shoulder against mine.
In a more serious tone, I say, “Thank you for always being here for me. I know I’m not an easy man.”
“Easy is overrated.” He chuckles. “But seriously, you’re the only man I would follow to the inner sanctum of hell, because I know that when we make it out, we’re doing it on our terms. The rest of the soldiers see it too. Times have changed, even in our world. You’ve made us aware that we were becoming redundant and weak. After tonight, no one will ever question your leadership.”
Niccolo claps a hand on my back and puts his feet on the coffee table. No other words are necessary. Il Destino is rising in power once again. We will make strong alliances with the right people. Adapt to the modern methods and rise to the era of new beginnings. The only thing that will never change is that we are Mafia. No one dares to cross the line without consequences.
