Tangled Deception (Web of Secrets Book 2)

Chapter 15

The next afternoon, Leo and Tristan walked through the broken door into the home of Oscar Ricci, acting head of the Ricci family. The shit had truly hit the fan, and there would be no recovering for the Ricci family after today. Tristan had all his contacts on the street looking for information about the families and who was making moves on who. Anything related to Shandra’s house being blown up. And when the word from the street came through, it was better than they could have ever expected.

Stepping over the threshold, the two men looked like avenging angels. Well, maybe more like two sexy ass devils intent on destruction. At least ten Lucarelli men were in the house, with ten more stationed outside surrounding the property. Bodies littered the floor in front of them; blood seeped into the polished hardwood floor. Some men were already dead; others would be soon. It made no difference to Leo, and he didn’t give a fuck about any of them.

“What the fuck are you doing, Lucarelli? I’m the head of a family,” spittle flew from Oscar Ricci’s mouth. When the two men first walked into the room where he was sitting, he had been shocked to know it was them. “The other families will never condone this. You’ve signed your death warrant coming after me.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Leo was so pissed off, the vein in his forehead was bulging out. “You no longer get to speak. All you need to do is sit and listen.” Turning towards the door, he yelled, “Bring her in.”

They heard her before she was drug through the open door. “Fuck you. Limp dick motherfucker. Do you know who I am?”

Leo smirked. “That voice sound familiar? Your sister is the reason for our visit today. And trust me, the other families are already aware. You simply weren’t invited to the party.” Earlier today, Tristan called an urgent meeting with the heads of the family. They grumbled and tried to convince him to take a different route, but he was done doing things their way. He had tried to play nice, while encouraging Leo to date Andrea to strengthen the bonds between the families. He even allowed her to visit his home, where his family lay their heads at night.

Yet, at every turn, both Andrea and Oscar had been playing not only him but the other families. Their bullshit knew no bounds.

Oscar’s father wasn’t ill. He didn’t appoint Oscar as acting head.

No. Oscar had killed his father months ago. Andrea had helped. The body was buried in the house’s garden, where no one ever visited.

What Oscar had done was punishable by death. Since the Lucarelli family had been specifically targeted recently, even threatening the future wife of Tristan’s right-hand man, the other families sanctioned today’s action. Even if they hadn’t given the green light, nothing would have stopped what was happening right now. That someone had the balls to come after their family was enough to warrant a retaliation.

“Oscar,” Andrea yelled once she saw him bloodied and on his knees. “What the fuck, Leo? Why are you doing this? Goddamn Lucarelli. Of course, you’re involved in this. You always seem to get your hands dirty, but this time, you’ve gone too far. You fucking traitor. You’re gonna pay for this. How dare you?”

Tristan sat at the desk in the room, taking his place as the head of the Ricci family, as Andrea cursed him in multiple ways. Oscar’s eyes widened at the sight of him sitting in the head chair. In that moment, he knew. And realized Tristan knew.

“How did you find out?” His tone was filled with shock, although if he were a smart man, he would not be surprised.

Tristan’s lips twisted into a semblance of a smile. “Doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that I do. You are no longer the head of the Ricci family. Any of your men who are still loyal to you will be given an honorable death. They may have thought they were following someone who actually gave a shit about how La Costa Nostra worked, but they bet on the wrong fucking horse. They had no idea what a scumbag you truly are, which is unfortunate. Anyone ready to take the knee and swear an oath to the Lucarelli family will be accepted.” He looked over at Leo and smirked. “With conditions, of course.”

“The four other families will never accept this,” he cried out in desperation. “We make too much money. Our cut it too big. There’s no fucking way they would allow you to take from me.” He slapped his chest in a last ditch effort to show bravado.

Leo sat on the edge of the desk and looked at his closest friend. His brother in every way but blood. Tristan waved his hand and motioned for him to continue.

“You sit there thinking you have any say in what’s about to happen to you and your men is a joke. You’ve already lost, Oscar. Your men are dead or dying. Your sister will be paying the piper soon enough. Yet, you try to play a tough guy. You’re a fucking joke. But let me give you the answer to a question you may be asking yourself. Want to know where you fucked up?” When Oscar didn’t respond, Leo continued, “Coming after my woman.”

Oscar’s head snapped up to look at him, then over at Andrea. His lips curled into a look of disgust. “What the fuck did you do? You stupid fucking cunt!”

“That bitch thought she could take what was meant to be mine,” Andrea spat out. “No one gets in my way. If you had done something when I told you to, none of this would be happening. I did what I had to do.”

Oscar dropped his head and let loose a maniacal laugh. “You stupid bitch. You ruined everything. You couldn’t move on from a man who didn’t want you? Not just any man, but the right hand to the most powerful family in the Northeast.” That he even admitted that last part meant he knew things were hopeless. He had always been a cocky motherfucker, so he knew the situation was dire. “He told you no. I told you to leave it alone. Find someone else. Yet, you couldn’t let shit go. And because of you, everything has been exposed. I should have killed you when you were ten. I knew you were useless then, but father told me to leave you alone. That you were just a child. Considering he was also a useless waste of space, I never should have listened to him.”

Tristan stood from the chair and leaned over the desk. “And that right there confirms that you don’t belong at the top of any family. Something is just not right in your head.” He walked from behind the desk and stood in front of Oscar and Andrea. “Oscar, be thankful you don’t have a wife or children. If you did, they would be kneeling on this floor with you. Actually, I take that back. I’m sure they would make a fine addition to my family. Just think about it. Your children being raised under my protection. Part of the Lucarelli family.” He gave him a wicked smile. “Anyway, my men have already breached your known hangouts. If your men fought back, they’re more than likely dead now. If they had been smart and listened, they might have had a chance. Either way, your family will no longer exist after today.”

He placed his hands in his pockets before leaning his head back. “Now, this is the part that I wish I could stay for, but alas, I must leave. My beautiful wife is close to her due date. She’s anxious about having our first baby. My first heir, be it a girl or boy, can’t have a mother or father that’s stressed. And being here with you, well, it’s pissing me off every second I’m in your presence.” Turning to one of his men, he motioned. “Do you have the accountant?”

“Yes, Mr. Lucarelli. He’s waiting for you at the secondary location.”

“Good. Oscar, before the day is out, every penny you’ve ever earned will be in my accounts. I’m sure your accountant will be… compelled… to give me what I need.” He slapped Leo on the back and smiled. “You got it from here?”

“You know this is fucked up, right?” Leo asked with a laugh.

Tristan nodded. “Yes, but she needs this. You have to allow her to be the person she’s meant to be. Camille told me about what they did all those years ago, but she swore me to secrecy. We don’t hold anything back from each other, even though I understood her reason for asking. My wife has a gentle heart when it comes to her family.”

Leo gave him a side glance. “Yeah, she does. How do you feel about her having a soft spot for D?”

Shaking his head, he laughed. “Yeah, now that’s something. Although from the way she wants to protect him, you would think he’s her little brother who needs her constant presence. The man is older than her and almost as mean as we are. Like, does he really need to be taken care of? I think not. But that’s not a fight I’m going to win, so I don’t bother.”

This conversation was an old one. Even Shandra viewed Dwayne as her brother and made sure Leo knew just how much he meant to her. But the man was a heartless killer. There was no need to treat him with kid gloves. Leo would never understand, but he didn’t need to. The only answer was to give his woman what she wanted. What she needed. He sighed.

“I still can’t believe you allowed her to be here.” Leo had initially been against this whole thing, but knew he needed to allow Shandra to be involved. His woman was unlike anyone else he knew. She was soft, loving, and submitted to him so well in the bedroom. Just thinking about what they did last night made his dick twitch. But now was not the time, so he had to calm down. He had finally learned that his woman was his match in every way. Even better than he could have ever imagined.

Not that she would be involved in any parts of the family business. That shit wouldn’t fly at all. Didn’t matter how much she tried. Her job was to be his wife, give him babies, and then do whatever the fuck else made her happy. As long as she never left him. If she was ever unhappy with their life, he expected her to tell him so he could fix it. There would be no divorce. If she got mad at him, then she could get in their bed, go to sleep, and wake up happy. That was the only damn choice in his book.

“Come on, Leo. Don’t complain about this now. Just think. You get to see her in action. A little birdie told me your future wife is a certified badass.”

“Badass?” Andrea piped in with a sound of disgust. She and Oscar had been blatantly listening to their conversation. Her disgust had increased with every word they spoke. “You have got to be kidding me. That ugly Black bitch you’ve been fucking? A badass? You’ve definitely lowered your standards. You both have. And now you’re bringing more mutts into the world. You’re both sick.”

Both men stood up, anger coursing through them at her words. Before they could retaliate, Shandra strolled into the room.

“I told you before not to call my baby a mutt. Since you don’t listen so well, that means I have to make this lesson permanent.” She turned to Tristan. “Your wife is waiting for you. She said something about Rainbow Sherbet ice cream, bread and butter pickles, and Argo starch.” A shiver went through her body. “I don’t know what kind of weird cravings my godbaby is making her momma have, but I hope she’s not going to eat all those things together at the same time. That’s just gross.” All three laughed. Leo had no idea why women wanted to eat odd food combinations when pregnant. Still, he couldn’t help but think what Shandra would crave once his baby was inside her.

Tristan snapped his fingers. “That was it. Argo starch. I knew there was something I was forgetting. Alright, I’m out. I’ll leave these two for you both to handle. You have ten of my men here. I’m headed home to my wife. My beautiful, luscious, pregnant Black wife,” he said as he smirked at Andrea. He then looked at Shandra with a quirked eyebrow. “Give her some for Camille, too.”

She mock saluted. “You got it.” As Tristan left the house, Shandra stood between Leo’s legs. “Hey, baby.”

“Hey sweetheart.” He raised one hand and trailed it down the side of her face. “You know I love this look on you.” Today, she wore all black. Form-fitting pants, black boots, a black button-up shirt, and her hair was pulled up into a sloppy bun. “Well, I wanted to look cute for you while we had some fun doing murder-death-kill. My usual outfit of combat boots, black camo pants, with a black shirt and some face-paint, didn’t seem to fit the occasion.”

She knew he was uneasy about her being here for this, but also agreed that vengeance needed to be hers. Everything she did today, no matter what, was approved and sanctioned by the head of the Lucarelli family. She had free rein to handle the woman who had caused her heartache and pain. She only hoped Leo understood.

“Will this change how you look at me?” God, she hoped not. But something inside her needed to ask the question. Few men could handle the darkness that simmered underneath her skin. Maybe that’s why she had never been interested in dating or finding a partner. How do you tell them you sometimes feel the need to go on a rampage and unalive people who crossed you? That wasn’t something you talked about at the dinner table. But with Leo, she could be herself. She didn’t have to hide who she was or what she had gone through.

“No, baby. Not at all. Nothing could ever change the way I look at you. What did I tell you last night when I was fucking the hell out of you? Tattooing my name all over that pussy? Hmmm?” His hands were clasped around her waist, her body close to his. His green eyes stared into her brown ones, waiting for her to respond. He didn’t care that his men were in the room watching and listening. They knew to keep their fucking mouths shut. And one day, maybe they would be lucky enough to find a baddie like his Shandra.

“You told me I belonged to you. That you loved me. That one day I would have your babies.” As she repeated the words, Shandra could feel herself blushing. This man could twist her ass in knots with just a look. How had she held out for so damn long?

“That’s right. You belong to me. And I belong to you. I love you, baby.”

“I love y—”

“You fucking Black—Aaaagggghhh!” Tears rolled down Andrea’s face as her body contorted in pain. “You threw a knife at me, you bitch! Fuck. Oscar, you weak fucker. Help me.” Shandra smiled at the pain in the other woman’s voice.

That’s right. As soon as Andrea fixed her mouth to say another derogatory thing to Shandra, she pulled her 8-inch serrated blade from the sheath on her waist and threw it at the woman kneeling on the floor. “That’ll teach you to open your mouth. You should have sat there and stayed silent while I was loving all up on my man. But no, you had to open your stupid cum-hole and spew some bullshit. You know what? I’m fucking done.” She stepped closer to the woman and squatted in front of her.

If one looked close enough, one could see the crazy that was usually hidden behind Shandra’s eyes.

After getting a good look at her face, Oscar pulled back. He looked toward Leo, but knew he would not get a reprieve. He was well and truly fucked. Andrea, not the brightest bulb in the box, didn’t get the hint as quickly.

“What the fuck—” Her head flew back as Shandra punched her.

Shandra stood to her feet, taking a few steps until she was standing over the other woman’s body. “You came after my man. Called our baby girl a mutt. Insulted not only me but the Lucarelli Donna and the Lucarelli heir. Sent a hit squad after me… they’re all dead, by the way. Shot my bodyguard. Blew up my house where my baby could have been.” The longer she spoke, the colder her voice became. Lifting one booted foot, she placed it on Andrea’s neck. “I warned you that day not to fuck with me. I even gave you a chance to walk away, but you chose not to. Now you have to deal with the side of me you never want to cross.”

As she pressed down harder on her throat, Oscar must have finally remembered who he always claimed to be. “Stop. You’re going to kill her. I hate her too, but I can’t stand by and let you do this.”

Shandra moved her foot from Andrea’s neck and turned to look at Oscar. If anyone wondered what death looked like when it came to drag you down to the depths of hell, it was the woman staring at him right now. “But you’re not standing. In fact, you’re not even here.”

A bullet crashed through Oscar’s head, and his body fell back to the ground. Shandra looked back at Leo with a sultry smile. “Thanks, baby. I’ll make sure to thank you properly tonight.”

Leo smiled and blew her a kiss. “Damn right you will. Now that he’s handled, go take care of your business.” Leo crossed his arms over his chest as he settled in for the show. And what a show it was.

Tales would be told of this day. The brutality. The screams. The finesse. The masterful way she wielded the knife. And the smile that was on her face the entire time. Once it was all over, Andrea’s body lay beside her brother’s. Both were gone from this world, writhing in hell if there was any justice in this world.

Leo couldn’t have been prouder. Maybe his little Amina had been right. He and Tristan made people disappear, yes. But her mommy and Auntie Camille… they were ‘bad assers’.

No one fucked with his family. With his bride by his side, his family would be an unstoppable force.