Quiet Empire, page 1
CONTENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
Note to my readers
Acknowledgments
Sneak Peek
About the Author
Also by Jodi Drake
QUIET EMPIRE
QUIET MAFIA SERIES
Copyright 2022 © J.L. Drake All rights reserved
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to, or downloaded from file sharing sites or distributed in any other way via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons— living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior permission of J.L. Drake.
Cover Design by Deranged Doctor Design
Editing by Lori Whitwam
Formatting by RedDoor Author Services
Liz Clark and Jamie Johnson for making this series a blast to write.
I will always hold M and R close to my heart.
The shot echoed around the property and tore through the trees, sending the birds into a frenzy above me. Their wings flapped in panic, and their screams filled the air. It was the only thing that told me life was still happening around me. I held on to a tree trunk and waited to see who was hit. My stomach did a painful flipflop when Elenora slumped to her knees and Sienna gasped in Elio’s arms.
Why couldn’t she have been the one shot? Fuck!
I shut my eyes and cursed. Why was I always left to deal with the aftermath?
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Sienna kick the gun away from her mother’s reach and slowly kneel next to her. She placed her ear next to Elenora’s lips as though listening.
I swore to God, if Elenora told her something, I’d drive a bullet right into Sienna’s skull in front of the lot of them. Who was I kidding? I was going to do it anyway, but it just had to happen soon instead of later.
Everyone just watched as the two whispered together. I supposed they were giving them a moment before the bitch took her last breath and died.
I whirled around and covered my mouth, hoping Theo would deal with her on the other side.
I loathed Elenora. She got what she deserved, and it was up to me to finish the rest. A tear slipped down my cheek when I saw Theo in front of me.
I let my head slip into the last time I’d seen him.
“Do I look like I’m going to stop asking?” I pulled my arm back and slapped Theo’s consigliere across the face. I knew I looked like a crazy person, but I didn’t care. Theo had left in the middle of the night to go after Elenora and their spawn of a daughter without his normal cavalry, and now no one would tell me where he was.
“Do that again,” he towered over me and squeezed my upper arm hard enough to bruise, “and I’ll squeeze that baby right out of you.” I ripped my arm free and stepped back, feeling a painful ache deep in my stomach. I was glad I was just at the six-month mark, or I’d be concerned for my baby’s safety. Stress was eating away at my ability to make wise choices. “I’m just following orders.”
“Noemi,” Pippo snapped at me, “it’s probably best you return home.” I started to protest, but he held up a hand. “Unless you have anything else to share with us about what Bosco is up to?”
I looked away, searching my mind for anything new I could share about the Capris, but at that moment, nothing came to me. I knew the only reason I was even allowed to be on the Coppola grounds with Theo was my agreement to share any news I had about the man I was dating and the father of my child. That and the fact that Theo still wanted me and not Elenora and that baby.
“There’s a taxi waiting outside.” He folded his short arms and waited for me to leave. His brothers, Betto and Lotto, were never far away, and it wouldn’t take much for them to throw me out of the house if I protested any more.
With a huff, I gathered my belongings, but I did hear Pippo ask for an update on Theo. I dismissed them and headed out the door and to the car.
“Where to?” the taxi driver asked.
I could go to my mama’s, I could go to Bosco, but I decided to head out of town and visit my aunt Giana. At least she wouldn’t ask questions and would be happy to see me. Also, she was a nurse, so if these pains got worse, I would be in good hands. I prattled off the address, and he sighed at the distance but carried on, knowing there would be a good tip at the end of it.
Once we were on our way, I settled in the seat and leaned my head back, watching the lights of the homes we passed. I was so close to my happily ever after, of money, security, and power. I just needed to get Elenora out of the way. It was when we were on the outskirts of town that I spotted it. Theo’s car was parked at the end of a driveway. If I’d blinked, I would have missed it.
“Hey,” I sat up and looked back, wondering what in the world he was doing all the way out here without any of his men, “I need you to turn around.”
“I’m under orders to report where I drop you off. Are you sure this is where you want me to say you were dropped off?” the taxi driver said over his shoulder, and I should have known Pippo would have spoken to him. After all, most of the city was under their watchful eye, and those who weren’t didn’t last very long.
“I don’t care what the hell you tell them. I’ll pay you double if you turn around and go down the driveway we just passed.”
“You’re the boss.” Without hesitation, he whirled the car around, sending me against the door, then he jerked into the driveway.
“Stop here,” I ordered, not wanting him to drive right up to the house. “Pull up behind those shrubs. I can’t have you be seen.”
I counted out some money, skipped the tip, and tossed it over his seat.
“You’ll get the rest when I get back.”
“So, I’m waiting for you, miss?”
“Yes.” I quietly closed the door, hoping not to draw any attention to myself in case I was about to catch him here with another woman. “I’ll let you know when you can go.”
“I’m leaving the meter on.” He pointed to the stupid little box that counted every minute we were in the car.
I hurried down the driveway, holding my belly, and was pleased to find the side door was open. In fact, it wasn’t even latched all the way. That was odd.
“You called, and I came.” Theo’s voice caught my attention as I stepped into the freezing cold house. I held my breath for a moment, glad they didn’t hear me as my shoes squelched on the tile floor. “Now you’re here, with him,” he chuckled darkly, “and you think you’re going to walk away from me, take my daughter, and, what, just disappear into the night?”
“I warned you that the next time you hurt me, we’d leave.” Elenora’s voice was cool and calm. Chilly, almost. “You’ve everything you want in life, so just leave us be.”
“Give me my daughter, and you’ll never see me again.”
“Why? So she can be treated like dirt in that house? Be undermined by your mother and hated by your father? The only way you’re getting her is through me.”
“She’s my blood, and that means something to me.”
I peeked around the corner and saw Theo’s back was to me, and over his shoulder was Elenora with a gun pointed at him.
No!
“I don’t love you—”
“No one loves you, Elenora.” Theo half laughed. “Not me, not your parents, not even your boyfriend Francesco, who let his family kill your sorry excuse of a brother. You have no one, so put the gun down and do what you’re Goddamned told!”
Oscar came into view, and he too was holding a gun that was pointed at Theo. Oh, my God, he’s out numbered! Why did he come here alone?
“You’re never going to leave us, are you?”
“Not while I’m living—”
Bang!
Theo’s entire body jolted as he took a step toward her then collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud. I covered my mouth in horror and fear as she lowered the gun and let out a cry of her own. I quickly threw myself into a closet and pulled the door close to my trembling body, as tears streamed down my face.
“We need to leave now,” Oscar yelled. “Come on, the guys will be here to clean this up, and we can’t be here.” I could hear them approach and prayed they wouldn’t notice the closet door wasn’t shut tight. I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to kill me too.
The moment they stepped out of the house, I flung myself into the room and dropped awkwardly to the floor over his body. I struggled to roll him onto his back, and he blinked up at me in confusion as he made a strange sound.
“No, no, no, no…” I sobbed as I pressed my hands against the hole in his chest. “Stay with me.”
“K-k,” he tried to say, and I grabbed his hand and held it tightly.
“I love you,” I choked through my tears.
“Kill her,” he whispered with one last effort before his body went slack, and I knew he was gone.
I sat back against the wall with numb legs and cradled my swollen belly. The only thing that ran through my mind in that moment was he wasn’t thinking of me. Even with his last breath he was thinking of her.
I watched as my mother’s eyes drained of life, her head slumped to the side, and her hand went slack in mine. I placed her still warm hand on her stomach and shifted my weight back on my heels as her words spun in my head. I looked up at Francisco, the gun hung as though heavy in his hand. His horrified expression told me this kill would haunt him forever.
“She could have killed you,” he whispered, and I nodded, knowing he was right. Mama had been determined to hurt the Capri family, to make them pay for what she thought they’d done. It was only a matter of time before she succeeded. “I’m so sorry, Sienna.”
“Don’t be.” I stood, brushing the dirt from my knees. “You’ve done enough for me. I’m only sorry that you had to be the one to… to do it. I know you loved her.”
He gave me a tight nod, then he stood and walked to Piero. He handed him the gun and continued to walk away.
“Sienna?” Andrea’s soft voice found me. “Cuoricino, are you all right?” I looked at Elio’s pale face as I took a moment. He didn’t approach.
“I think…” I paused as I remembered my mother’s last words. They repeated over and over inside my head. “I think I’d like to go inside.”
“That’s a very good idea,” she said as she placed her hands on my shoulders and steered me in that direction.
Elio moved then. He stepped in our path and stood tall and dark. He didn’t speak right away, so I looked up and noted his ticking jaw.
“What did she say to you?” His voice was cold and distant. Some might have been upset that he hadn’t asked how I was, but I knew him better than that. Clearly, I was fine. The fact that someone had slipped by his people and tried to hurt us would have been heavy on his mind.
“She said Oscar killed my father.”
“Mm,” he grunted, and I could only imagine what was running through his head.
Something strange passed through me, as if the wind took a sudden change of direction and sent a breeze of cold air over me. The hair on my arms stood to attention.
I felt the fear just as shadows emerged from the tree line all around us. I reached out for Elio’s arm.
“Who are they?” I whispered as a stillness draped around us. All that could be heard was the sound of flexed leather as their weapons were being drawn.
“Elio.” Piero pushed Andrea next to me, and the two men created a bubble of protection. “Four.”
“I see six,” Elio responded.
“There are another two behind the one in red,” I croaked and swallowed through a dry mouth, hoping I was helping.
“Just like Sicily,” Piero said harshly.
Niccola and Vinni gave their count, and I felt Elio tug on my arm to move me closer behind him.
“Vinni, take Sienna. Niccola, take Mama,” Elio ordered.
“Yes, boss.” Vinni reached out for my arm, and as much as I didn’t want to leave Elio in this crazy scene from a zombie movie, I hesitated but knew I had to move. “Come on, Sienna.”
“Take this.” Elio, whose gaze never left the men who were walking toward us at a slow, steady pace, handed me a knife. “Always aim for the inner thigh and then under the arm. Don’t stop until they stop moving.”
“I love you,” I breathed in his ear and grabbed the knife as Vinni shouted to run. As soon as we started to run, a frenzy broke out and everyone began to move fast. There was shouting, and bullets began to fly. The sound of it all sent the birds into a frenzy, and they took off into the sky in sheer panic. Some men were closing in on us as we veered off toward the cars.
“Come on!” I could hardly hear Vinni but saw his mouth moving. Andrea, who was just a few feet from me, pumped her arms at her sides as she suddenly tripped over a rock and tumbled to the ground. I quickly pivoted and went for her, but Niccola shoved my shoulder, sending me toward Vinni again.
“Go with Vinni!” he shouted as he scooped up Andrea and basically carried her off in a different direction toward a vehicle. So many things were going on at once. I frantically looked back. All I wanted to do was see if Elio was all right. Niccola shouted something as he nearly tossed Andrea into the car. Vinni was a few feet ahead of me and made it to the car first and opened the door. He shouted at me to move it. I was almost to the car when Bang! Vinni’s face twisted in horror, and I followed his gaze toward his brother.
Niccola had been hit. Andrea jumped out of the car and dragged Niccola inside. Then, with her in the driver’s seat, they peeled off down the driveway.
In those same seconds, someone grabbed Vinni and sucker punched him in the face, and I was grabbed from behind and dropped the knife.
“I’ve been wanting to meet you,” the man grunted into my ear.
My fight or flight kicked in, and I lost it. As I leaned forward like I was falling, I sent my elbow backward hard and drove it into his ribs, and he let go on a woosh of air. I kicked back and got him in the crotch. I spun around and used the palm of my hand and drilled it into his nose. Then someone grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. I flipped over and managed to get my knee between me and the new attacker. With all my might, I kicked upward and was able to knock him off balance just enough to wiggle free from his hold. I flipped on my stomach and scrambled desperately to get onto my feet, only to have his hand wrap around my ankle and yank me back onto the ground again. I hit my jaw with a loud crack. My ears rang, and my vision blurred, but my subconscious screamed at me to stay focused, and I had a strong will to live. One of the men crawled on top of me and pushed my face into the dirt.
“No!” I screamed as my feet and arms kicked and pushed up desperately as he tried to pin my arms. I looked to the side and saw Elio racing toward me, then he suddenly stopped, and the man let go of me and fell beside me with blood running from his head. I was lifted off the ground from behind and pushed into the back of a car.
Panic ripped through me. I looked desperately back toward Elio, only to see him give a quick nod, then he turned and shot at the men coming up behind him.
“Belt,” Francesco barked from the driver’s seat. I didn’t even realize I was obeying until he looked at me from the rearview mirror with a worried expression. “Are you hurt?”
“No,” I huffed, trying to catch my breath. My face hurt like hell, and I reached up and touched my jaw. “What about Niccola?” I felt tears prickle but chased them away, I needed to be strong. Niccola was like a brother to me; I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose him. I knew how close he was to everyone else, too.
“Gain got to him. He’s on his way with Andrea back to the Hill House.”
“Hill House? He should be going to the hospital.”
“There are doctors and a whole operating room in the basement, Sienna. He’ll have the best care.”
“Jesus.” I covered my face, trying to get my head on straight. What a rollercoaster today had been. “Who were those guys?”
