Little Rabbit (New York Mafia #2)

1. ALESSIO

1

ALESSIO

Everyone who looks at me sees the easygoing Caruso heir. The one who will take over one day when my father either retires or isn’t with us anymore. Our soldiers don’t realize I already know they’re preparing for that, despite the fact that my father is only seventy and in the best of health. It helps when you don’t have a bitch of a wife holding you down and fucking your enemy. Or spilling family secrets, trying to help out her lover.

Still, few know who I really am.

I may be the Caruso heir, but I am also a man that will take lives with a smile on his face. A man who will luxuriate in the feeling of your blood running over my hands, over my skin. Because that’s who I’ve become, even if I don’t allow it to show. Most would consider me a monster, but I consider myself effective. Effective enough to know that when I take over the empire my father and grandfather built, it won’t fall because I’m afraid to take chances.

Despite all of that, I am good at hiding that side of me. Most will see me as a jokester, the one who will make you laugh when you’re having a hard time. The one to charm a woman with a mere smile and a wink. Still, there are times when even I forget what I am; what I’m capable of.

Currently, I’m sitting on a plane heading back to the United States, to find a woman who has no idea who she really is. Or, at least by all accounts, it looks that way. I learned a long time ago to never take anything at face value. Hell, a few weeks ago when we were approached by Marco De Luca with a proposition to marry his sister to gain an alliance, I started digging into what he wanted right away. What kind of man he is. It didn’t take me long to take his measure, and when we got the call from Nico Armani, the final pieces clicked into place.

Had I wanted to enforce the contract, there was nothing Nico could have done, but it’s clear that Giulia De Luca is right where she needs to be. As dark and dangerous as Nico appears, the man is nothing like me. He has blood on his hands, sure, but to him, it’s a job. To me, it’s life. A life that I’ve fully embraced.

Watching him marry Gia, and her ensuing escape to Sicily the night we left, I knew she and I would never fit. She’s too innocent, too sheltered. Sure, she’s beautiful, and I would make it work, but something tells me things have worked out for the better. After all, it’s brought us here.

Right into the middle of a battle about to grip New York, and could possibly spread back to Italy and Sicily depending on how things shake down. Hell, the Irish and the Russians could even be involved. Just thinking about it makes my blood burn with excitement. There’s nothing I love more than a good bloody war, though, of course, we’ll have to be careful. We want to be part of the winning team, the way we have always been. So far, it appears that aligning with Nico Armani has been a damn good choice.

At least for now. I have no qualms about switching alliances should we need to pivot, but considering Sofia Cattaneo is employed by Nico, it’s highly unlikely. Sofia is the youngest child of our head of security. His only daughter, the woman is like a little sister to us. I would kill anyone who hurt her, including Nico, and the man Sofia is currently wrapped up in, Dante Esposito. A man who is known to be dangerous as hell, and just as vicious when the situation calls for it, but would be no match for me, my brothers, or hers. So for now, I’m going to see how things play out.

“What are you thinking about?” Lazaro, my personal security guard and one of our best soldiers, asks as he folds himself into the seat across from me. I take in the lipstick on his collar and the satisfied look in his dark brown eyes, and nearly roll my own. The fucker is a giant, topping out at six-seven, with hard muscle to match. I have no idea how he managed to hook up with the only female on this flight, our stewardess, but it’s clear he’s managed it.

“The fact that you somehow avoided getting a crick in your neck, with your size and the size of that bathroom or wherever you were fucking in,” I say drily. I don’t give a shit what he does. If there is anyone that I trust my life with outside of my father or brothers, it’s the Cattaneo brothers, but especially Lazaro. Maybe it’s because we’re so close in age, or how darkness can sniff out darkness, but the two of us are far more alike than most would think. If he wants to fuck a woman on an airplane, I’m not about to stop him. Because the moment we land, he’ll be all business, and nothing and no one will distract him from his duties.

Lazaro smirks and replies, “When you’re having a good time, one doesn’t notice such trivial things. Now, what’s got you looking all dark and brooding? Or are you jealous I got to her first?”

I snort. “Fucking stewardesses is a you thing; who am I to rain on your party?” Lazaro shrugs, uncaring, but continues to look at me expectantly. I bite back a sigh. The man knows me far too well. He’s so damn nosy he’s not going to give it up, and we have a long fucking flight. “Just thinking how long it’s been since our last battle. I’m hoping this one will be good and bloody.”

Lazaro’s face breaks out into a knowing grin, the darkness lurking behind his gaze deepening even further. Lazaro is well known for his extraction skills. Information, product, people; you name it, he’ll get it. And if he has to do it in the bloodiest way possible, all the more fun for him. Like the rest of us, he won’t hurt innocent women or children, but that’s his only rule. For any other target, all bets are off. We have both killed women that deserved it, however. They were as dark and depraved as the men around them and needed to be put down like the rabid dogs they were.

“Oh, I have a feeling it’s going to be far bloodier than we can imagine,” Lazaro says anticipatorily. “The war in New York is going to be interesting. I’ve never seen one family so fractured.”

“I’m surprised they’ve lasted this long,” I agree. “Hell, it’s unheard of for a son and brother to both break away from a Don.” To do that back home would result in instant death.

“Americans, they are weak, getting distracted by things that don’t matter,” Lazaro sneers. On that I can agree. This is why a lot of the families in the home country don’t deal with the American factions. They are focused on money and being bigger and better than anyone else, always trying to one up the other. Back home, there are constant skirmishes and power plays for the upper hand, but those are expected. We don’t have the police constantly breathing down our necks trying to break us apart. There is no backstabbing and breaking ranks. If I or one of my brothers tried to do to our father what the De Luca’s have done to theirs, even with as much as he loves us, he wouldn’t permit us one more breath.

“And all over women,” I say with a roll of my eyes. “I mean, as lovely as Gia is, all of this over trying to marry her off to outdo the other.” Gia was secreted away by her family, all because they wanted to use her. Of course, she was the key to her father, uncle, and brother gaining the upper hand they crave. But fortunately for her, she caught the attention of Nico Armani, who took her before realizing just who she was. Now, she’s an Armani, and her own family secrets have come to light – including that there are possibly four other girls who were smuggled out and didn’t have to suffer like Gia did.

Gia is a wonderful woman. When I first saw her, my first thought was how beautiful she is, and how I wouldn’t hate to be married to her. Seeing her grow and show her true self over the last few days, I can see why Nico is so taken with her. At first, I was sure she was suffering some kind of delusion, wanting to stay with Nico, but then I saw the truth in her eyes. I knew she is where she needed to be, even if she did fight it. However, I also realize that the more she comes out of her shell, the more she’s going to keep Nico on his toes. Hell, she snuck out of their home and stowed away on our plane to have him chase her clear across the Atlantic to our home in Sicily. The woman has some serious stones, and they’re only going to grow now that she can test limits without fear of being tortured or executed for it.

“I don’t understand their obsession with only having men in their family by birth,” Lazaro agrees, frowning. “The Italians have always been big on family, on the women helping them gain the favor of other families.”

He’s right. “There’s a reason there, and I want to know what it is. Perhaps when we come face to face with the fuckers again, we’ll be able to ask.” I give him a cool smile. “And if they won’t share, I’m sure between the two of us, we can convince them.”

Lazaro’s matching smile tells me he’s in full agreement. “Could be sooner than later if any of them are trying to find our target. Papa said that by the time we land, he’ll have the info on who searched her name.”

If anyone can find out that information, it’s Aurelio’s informant. We’ve never been introduced to said informant, but it doesn’t matter. The information is always good, always accurate, and has helped save our asses on more than one occasion, so who cares if we never put a face or name to them?

“Speaking of our target…” I pull out the file on Sienna Harris and hand it to him. “I was studying this while you were getting your dick wet.”

Lazaro ignores my jab, and opens the file. I’ve been reading it nonstop for the last couple of hours, memorizing everything there is to know about the woman. The details are surprisingly thorough, despite her connection only just being discovered. “She really does look like Gia,” Lazaro remarks, glancing at me.

I nod. “She’s a few inches taller, and has a fuller figure. And her eyes are more hazel.”

“She doesn’t have that innocent air about her that Gia does. Says here she’s trained in boxing and some martial arts; worked her way up to a black belt.” He makes a sound of amusement. “And that she’s highly proficient with a gun and knives. Are we sure she doesn’t know who she is? Why would she be so well versed in all of that if she doesn’t?”

“Second page,” I reply.

He looks, and then arches a brow. “Mother was raped as a teenager, and as soon as Sienna was old enough, she started teaching her how to protect herself.” He nods. “Explains it. Alright, so maybe she doesn’t know who she is, but all this makes me think that once we tell her, she’s going to put up a hell of a fight.”

A fight I’m fully prepared for. “We also need to be careful of her best friend,” I add. Lazaro skims the page again and his eyebrows climb even higher. “Seems her best friend is a bounty hunter, one of the best in the state. Which could cause a problem.”

“Hmmm,” Lazaro hums. He reads the write up on her best friend aloud. “Aurora O’Brien, goes by Rori to most, age twenty six, same as Sienna, and an all around badass by all accounts. Comes from a long line of former military and a few cops, though those are mostly distant. The two of them met in college and have been inseparable ever since.” He chuckles. “And Rori apparently has no qualms about getting dirty to get her man.” He shows me the picture of said woman coming out of a swamp, covered in so much muck you can barely tell she’s human, gripping her perp by the cuffed arm with a smug smile on her face. “But you’re right, if she’s this determined, we’re going to have to be careful when we get Sienna, or she’s going to be on our asses. What do you want to do? Throw her off the scent?”

“I’ve already sent a message to Aurelio to figure out a way to do that,” I reply. “I’m leaving nothing to chance. We don’t need her and whoever the De Lucas are sending getting in our way. We can handle it all with no problems, but we don’t need to cause a stink while we’re there.”

Lazaro nods his agreement. “When we land, I’ll have the flight crew prepare for immediate departure so we don’t waste any time. Any ideas on what we’re going to do once we get her onboard? Besides hiding any objects that could be used as a weapon.”

It’s my turn to smirk. “I have some lovely restraints that I could test out if she refuses to behave herself.”

Lazaro snickers. “Kinky bastard. But something tells me restraints might not be enough. I’ll have the back bedroom secured in case we have to hold her there. Though, I suppose if you put on the charm, she’d be more apt to settle down.”

I would normally agree, but having looked at her picture plenty over the last couple of hours, my gut is telling me that Ms. Sienna Harris is going to be anything but easy. Charm isn’t going to work on her. Still, I’m a man of many talents; finding out her weaknesses and using them to get what I want will be a piece of cake.

I take the file back from Lazaro and glance at it again briefly before setting it aside. “When we land, we’ll locate her and do some surveillance,” I say briskly, getting back to the task at hand. “From there we’ll determine the best way to approach her. And if we have to make a quick exit, we’ve already made back up plans.”

Lazaro nods. “I’ve booked a hotel for two nights just in case. It’s close enough to the landing strip that we can get back to the plane quickly.”

“Good. Let’s hope that Ms. Harris is a reasonable woman.”

Lazaro snorts. “She’s a De Luca by birth, which means she’s going to be a pain in the ass, but hopefully her temperament takes after her sister instead of the rest of her fucked up family. I’m going to get some shut eye.” He reclines his seat back to an almost flat position and closes his eyes, the discussion finished.

I’ve always envied Lazaro and his ability to just turn everything off. My mind never stops. But he’s right that getting some sleep is the best option. I get to my feet and head to the back of the plane where the bedroom is. I close the door, not bothering to lock it since no one but Lazaro would dare disturb me, kick off my shoes, and then head for the adjoining shower. It’s small, and the water is luke-warm at best, but it’s enough to get clean. After toweling off, I climb into the freshly made bed.

Sleep, however, doesn’t come right away. Instead, I lay in the darkened room, staring at the ceiling as my mind swirls. My father and I have been having many closed door discussions without my brothers about what will happen when he decides to step down. While I’ve been training for this for my entire life, and know that I’ll excel at it, I’m not ready. Because this role has always been my father’s. He took his own father’s legacy and grew our empire into what it is now, through sheer grit, smarts, and determination. From his efforts, we have become one of the most respected, and feared, families in all of Europe.

Some of those discussions have been about me marrying and producing the next heir. Most men in my position are married with two or three children already, so the pressure is mounting. Not to mention, there are families chomping at the bit to show off their daughters to my father and I, hoping to gain an alliance and all its benefits. My father will never force me, but I know what is expected, and I’ll do my duty when I have no other choice. I was prepared when Gia was offered and we decided to accept, but I’m honestly a bit relieved.

It’s not that Gia isn’t a lovely woman, or that we wouldn’t have been happy, but she’s too soft, too innocent for me. It wouldn’t be a problem in the long run, but seeing her with Nico, he’s much more the type of man she needs. So it’s back to the drawing board for me.

My thoughts stray to Sienna Harris. From what I’ve read, she’s the exact opposite of her sister in everything but looks. While she hasn’t been in the mafia life, the age old debate of nature versus nurture rears its head. Just because she hasn’t been around it doesn’t mean that she’s not as terrible as her father and brothers. A lot can lurk behind a mask. After all, I should know.

The file photo of her sitting at the coffee shop fills my mind again. She had her hair pulled back into a simple braid, a few loose strands moving around her face from what I can only assume was the wind. Her wide smile as she spoke to her friend is a mirror of Gia’s, but it’s the hazel of her eyes that pulled at me. In the photo, they’re wide and bright, free of any shadows. But everyone has secrets. I just need to figure out hers.

I should probably feel bad that I’m about to pull the rug out from under her feet and bring her into a world that her mother tried to save her from. Will she scream and cry? Fight and demand to be let go? Or will she accept her fate and work with us to keep herself and Gia safe from the clutches of anyone else that might want to use them for their own selfish gain? Time will tell.

I’ll be ready no matter what. No one I’ve wanted to catch has escaped me yet, and Sienna Harris will not be the first.