13. Chapter 13
13
The following weeks raced ahead at a frenetic pace. Figurative fires, great and small, required attention. Kingdoms were now kingless. In the absence of Aberto, Domenico, and Carlo, hungry eyes locked on the vacant thrones, and a collective swarm of greedy, ego-fueled power plays rippled through the clans.
To prevent another massacre among the surviving members of the De Leóns, Berlusconis, and Morettis, Alessandro wielded authority as capo to handpick the new heads for the Berlusconis and the Morettis. He dismissed Domenico and Carlo's designated heirs. It ruffled some feathers but kept the peace.
Alessandro chose competent individuals who were willing to bend to his authority. A distant cousin, Andrea Berlusconi, stepped in for Domenico. Carlo's uncle, Cristian Moretti, took over for their clan. Gaspare De León was allowed to stay in power since they weren't planning to keep him alive for long, anyway, after his marriage to Valentina.
Alessandro and Elyse debated over what to do about Samuele Trevisano. The man had betrayed them by siding with the Berlusconis and Morettis during the standoff at the funeral. Instead of removing Samuele as head of his clan, or killing the traitor outright, Elyse advised Alessandro to seize some of his businesses instead.This one stone could strike down two birds by punishing the Trevisanos while rewarding their allies.
She suggested to her husband, "Maybe we should divide Samuele's earnings between Paolo Svizzi and my grandfather?"
Alessandro frowned. "That is not a bad idea, but..."
"What?"
"If we take too much, Samuele will not let go of his grudge. He will rebel against us again. If we take too little, it will make us appear weak and invite others to fuck us over down the line. "
Finding the sweet spot was key. They eventually settled on a number that would weaken the Trevisanos' business operations without inciting anarchy. As these radical changes fell into place, to both Elyse and Alessandro's shock, no one came forward to defy them. It seemed the tragic fates of the Berlusconis and De Leóns served as an effective deterrent.
Aberto, Domenico, and Carlo's deaths at Vincenzo's funeral had altered everyone's perception of the former mafia princeling. In one fell swoop, they saw how Alessandro wiped out three of his strongest opponents, eluded the authorities, and saved the guests from the church fire. They noticed how he chose replacements for Carlo and Domenico who would ensure stability for their respective clans instead of inciting more bloodshed. They acknowledged the way he disciplined Samuele and compensated Paolo and Benedetto without using a single bullet.
Everyone began to whisper and speculate. People used to think that the older Vitale sons were the spiders to be feared. Alessandro had always been written off as a harmless, buzzing fly.
Now?
They were second-guessing everything. Maybe there was a reason why Alessandro was Vincenzo’s only surviving son. The youngest Vitale wasn’t the incompetent fuckboy they’d believed him to be.
What if he’d been the spider all along?
Spinning a deadly, decades-long web around his unsuspecting brothers. It was both terrifying and thrilling to see him in this new light. The psychotic level of calculation and patience it would’ve taken pull off such a feat was the stuff of nightmares.
The secret was out, and every clan arrived at the same conclusion. Alessandro was proving to be a surprisingly capable leader. Much like his father, Alessandro wasn't to be crossed as capo . Unlike his father, however, Alessandro prioritized the bottom line, the almighty dollar, over violence for the sake of violence. It wasn’t a tough pill to swallow. After all, what self-respecting mafioso walked away from a capo who knew how to fatten their wallets?
Confidence in Alessandro strengthened and, along with it, allegiances fell back in line. For the time being, at least. Elyse observed her husband's strategies as a businessman unfold in real-time. He possessed a head for numbers and an instinct that allowed him to stay two steps ahead of competitors. Elyse spent much of her time shadowing Alessandro, quietly learning the ins and outs of their businesses, reviewing financial accounts and transactions so that she might one day take on a larger role in these dealings.
A prosperous, promising start now defined their reign as the newly minted king and queen. Under the surface, though, a few loose ends still needed to be addressed before Elyse could feel at ease. Fraying strands like Valentina and Benedetto and their questionable alliances. Or the culprit-at-large who set the church roof on fire. Not to mention, Alessandro's unsettling phone conversation about taking the fall .
Elyse began to investigate in earnest. She brought Malina back from Salemi. A queen was nothing, after all, without a trusted advisor at her side.
The moment Malina entered the front doors of the palazzo, the entire household staff seemed to sense it. They started moving faster while completing tasks with more thoroughness. With Malina back at her side, some of the tension in her shoulders faded away. Elyse hadn't realized how much she missed her housekeeper until now.
Malina smiled at her warmly. "It has been a while, Signora Vitale ."
Smiling back, Elyse rushed over and enveloped the older woman in a tight embrace. "I'm so happy to see you, Malina!"
The two women hugged and laughed, growing slightly teary-eyed at their reunion. So much had transpired since their last meeting. Elyse and Malina eventually pulled away and relocated to one of the guest rooms. Elyse shut the door, locked it, and spent the next half hour updating Malina on the good, the bad, and the ugly of her current predicament.
They spoke of Alessandro's cryptic phone conversation. Malina promised to keep her eyes and ears peeled for more information and report back to Elyse. They also spoke of church fires and faceless enemies.
"Have you reached out to the priest?" the housekeeper asked. "He was probably on site before anyone else. I wonder if he had anything to do with the fires?"
The priest's name was Giuseppe Boselli, and what Malina was suggesting proved sound. Elyse shared a similar line of thought. Father Boselli had, indeed, arrived at the church before any of the guests. If anyone was plotting to set the roof ablaze before the service began, the priest would've been a perfect accomplice to carry out this scheme.
Elyse answered, "Right after the funeral, I wanted to bring Father Boselli in for questioning, so I asked Luca to seek him out, but, suspiciously enough, the man has vanished. None of Father Boselli's friends or acquaintances can get in touch with him."
Malina paused artfully. "Do you suspect foul play?"
Elyse pursed her lips. "I think so."
"Do you think Father Boselli was either bribed or blackmailed into helping the real culprit?"
"I don't know how Father Boselli might be connected to the violence and the fires that occurred at the funeral," Elyse replied, "but, I think, now that the tides have turned in Alessandro's favor, the guilty party might be anxious about the Father snitching on him— or her —which means that the priest was probably involved some way. Otherwise, why would he go missing without a word? That's my theory, anyway."
"Who are your top suspects?"
"Valentina," Elyse muttered, "and my grandfather."
Valentina had been far too calm in the face of the fires, and Benedetto had literally suggested burning down the church during their meeting before the funeral.
Malina's eyebrows sprung up in surprise. "You do not trust your grandfather?"
"Not at all."
"Benedetto Graviano has been well known in our circles for decades," the housekeeper murmured in delicate tones. "Your grandfather is not a man to be crossed, but he has a reputation for being honorable. He would not betray an ally without good reason, let alone his flesh and blood, you , his granddaughter."
With a crinkled brow, Elyse countered, "You don't know my grandfather like I do, Malina."
"What do you mean?"
When Elyse told Malina about the music box, the housekeeper grimaced. "That is certainly troubling to hear."
"He’s trying to drive a wedge between Alessandro and me."
"Yes, but..."
"What?"
A thoughtful look crossed Malina's features. "Your grandfather enjoys chess, doesn't he?"
Elyse wrinkled her nose like a surly teenager. "He's annoyingly good at it."
Only after Elyse gave her reply did she realize that something wasn't quite right. Wait . How did Malina know that Benedetto enjoyed chess? His fondness for the game wasn't really common knowledge, and Elyse couldn't remember telling her about it before. Malina might posses a wealth of knowledge about the families who moved in Alessandro’s circles, but the Gravianos hadn’t been a part of it until recently.
Malina's voice cut through her confusion, "Perhaps, he is playing chess with you through the music box."
Elyse eyed Malina with a look of caution. "This doesn't seem like a game, though. It feels like a fucked up test of loyalty."
"Benedetto is testing you, I believe, but not in the way you think."
She frowned. "What are you getting at, Malina?"
"If your grandfather wanted loyalty, a clever man like him would not have chosen to blackmail you in such a tactless, heavy-handed manner. He knows that true loyalty cannot stem from fear."
Elyse accused quietly, "You speak as though you know my grandfather well."
Malina's lashes swept downwards. "I know him well enough."
Elyse's eyes grew wide. Curiosity and apprehension spiked upwards. What was the fucking tea here? She prodded, "I didn't know you were acquainted with my grandfather."
"I was not always employed by the Vitales, you know."
"Did you work for my grandfather at some point?"
A whisper of pink appeared on Malina's cheeks. "Not your grandfather, exactly, but his mother, your great grandmother, hired me when I was sixteen to be their maid."
Malina had some history with the Gravianos? Elyse demanded, "Why didn't you mention this to me before?"
"I was only employed with the Gravianos for a few months," Malina shared, "and I am not particularly proud of that time in my life. Or the way I was let go from my position."
Elyse blinked rapidly. "What happened?"
"I was caught in bed with Benedetto," Malina mumbled with embarrassment, "by his mother."
She gasped. "Oh, mierda ."
"I will never forget the humiliation I felt when his mother chased me out of their house. I will also never forget how, after I was dismissed without my last paycheck, Benedetto went through the trouble to track me down. He gave me triple what I was owed to hold me over as I searched for a new job. "
Elyse felt stunned. "I had no idea that you two were lovers."
Malina laughed softly. "I would hardly call us lovers. Our fling only lasted a few weeks. I doubt your grandfather remembers me. I have forgotten a lot about our time together, it happened so long ago, but what I do recall was that his fascination with chess and how well he treated me. I believe him to be a man of honor."
"It seems," Elyse concluded with a shocked expression, "you weren't joking when you claimed to know my grandfather pretty well."
Malina's expression turned wry. "Indeed."
"What do you think he wants from me?"
"I do not think Benedetto means you harm. But he is definitely playing mind games. To test your mettle and see what you and Signor Vitale are really made of. He wants to determine whether or not you two will be worth his time."
Elyse scoffed. "That's still fucked up."
"You must show him that your marriage can survive his meddling."
"I hate to break it to you, Malina, but I feel like you're grasping at straws here."
"I may be old, but I am not senile yet. I choose to defend Benedetto," Malina mused as a conspiratorial gleam entered her blue eyes, "because I have more reason to question Valentina and Carmen's innocence."
This piqued Elyse's interest. "You believe they're guilty of something?"
"When I was in Salemi," the housekeeper continued, "the Rizzos were put under my charge. I watched them closely. Mother and daughter are not as in sync as they want the rest of the world to believe."
Elyse listened intently to Malina's every word. "Interesting."
"I believe Carmen's desires are quite simple. She wants a comfortable life. Valentina's desires are more complex. She wants power. I believe she has an ambitious vision for her future. If you wish to question anyone's loyalty, start with Valentina."
Elyse's mouth flattened. "Then I understand what I must do.”
Not long after Elyse finished her conversation with Malina, she decided to give Valentina a call. Her stepsister-in-law picked up after the fifth ring.
Elyse greeted her politely, "Good afternoon, Valentina. I hope you've been well."
" Ciao , Dr. Romero," Valentina cooed in breathy tones, "I am surprised to hear from you.”
“Just wanted to say— hi .”
Valentina scoffed in disgust. “But why?”
“We’re family now, aren’t we?” Ignoring the blonde’s hostility, Elyse tried to build a bridge, “I was hoping that we might be become friends, too.”
Valentina didn’t mince her words, “You and I may be family now, but we will never be friends. I do not like you, and you do not like me. We are like cats and dogs. You are the dog, by the way, in this scenario.”
Elyse started, “I—”
Valentina didn’t let her finish, “What do they call female canines in English again? The word slips my mind."
Bitch .
Elyse scowled into the phone. "I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but I was hoping that you'd let me extend an olive branch."
"An olive branch?"
Valentina sounded suspicious. Elyse stopped beating around the bush. "Would you like some help with planning your wedding? Let me be the bitch to your bride."
Valentina chuckled despite her obvious animosity toward Elyse. "You want to be my little bitch?"
"Yes."
"I find that hard to believe."
"I'll take care of anything that gives you a headache."
"Will you, now?" Valentina sounded intrigued.
Elyse knew that the blonde wouldn't be able to readily refuse her offer, not without angering Alessandro. This was why she had extended this sham of an olive branch. She intended to cozy up to Valentina and uncover the blonde’s hidden agenda once and for all.
It hadn't been easy to convince Valentina over the phone, but, by the end of their conversation, Elyse managed to convince the blonde—in a strategic onslaught of nonstop flattering and badgering—to go wedding dress shopping with her.
The next day, she picked up Valentina in her vehicle. They went to Via Della Libertà . The ritzy avenue was very much the Rodeo Drive, or Fifth Avenue, of Palermo. Long lines of upscale shops and luxury boutiques stretched before them. Dolce and Gabana.Louis Vuitton.Gucci. Burberry.Prada.
Together, the two women strolled down the avenue toward the boutique where Elyse had scheduled Valentina's dress appointment.
As always, Monte and Luca followed behind them.
Side by side, Elyse and Valentina's silhouettes cut a clear contrast. One tall, in stilettos. One short, in flats . One blonde. One brunette . One leaner. One curvier. But both stunning in their own way, causing heads to turn in the crowd of shoppers and pedestrians.
Without a trace of bitchiness, Elyse addressed Valentina politely, "Thank you for coming."
Valentina had called her a female canine , and Elyse was ready to live up to the namesake. Real bitches, though, never showed their claws until it was time to draw blood.
"My mother should be here," Valentina flung back with a haughty stare, "instead of you."
An eyebrow arched. "Unfortunately, your mother must remain in Salemi until further notice. The decision is out of my hands."
Domenico was dead, Alessandro was still capo , and the former Mrs. Vitale needed to live with the consequences of her grave misstep.
"Lies," Valentina hissed with a snort. "I suspect that you have Sandro wrapped around your little finger. One word from you, Dr. Romero, and my mother could be back in Palermo by tomorrow."
"You flatter me, but, sadly, my authority has limits. Alessandro is capo . His mind is his own, and he's in charge of our clan," Elyse reminded the blonde, " not me ."
"What a dutiful wife you are proving to be," Valentina mocked, "to know your place so well."
"If you’re trying piss me off, it won’t work," Elyse informed her calmly. “I’ve dealt with too many assholes in life to be bothered by you.”
"Then," the blue-eyed blonde countered with a flippant expression, "I must try harder."
Elyse smirked. "Be my guest.”
Valentina smirked back at her. "Sandro married you because you are spineless and biddable. My stepbrother was not man enough to wed me. Unlike you, I am a fighter. "
Elyse stifled the urge to scoff. She muttered wryly, "Maybe you're right. Or maybe you don't know me at all."
"I know I am superior to you in every way."
Elyse laughed. "You're definitely a pain in the ass in every way."
"And here I thought you wanted to be my little bitch? Errore mio ." My mistake.
"You're right, I'm sorry," Elyse apologized with a strained smile, "I'm the bitch today, and you're the bride."
"I like it when you know your place, Dr. Romero," Valentina murmured with glittering eyes. "Who knows? You and I might become— what is the word you Americans like to use? I heard it on TV the other day. Besties . We could become besties someday."
Besties? Elyse didn't think that she could stomach any kind of friendship with her stepsister-in-law, but, in time, they could probably learn to coexist. Unless, of course, Valentina intended to betray Alessandro.
Elyse's jaw tightened ever so slightly, but she kept her tone civil. "I hope I'll be able to call you my friend someday."
"For your sake, you should hope that we do become friends," Valentina returned with a sharp smile. "I assure you, no one wants me as an enemy."
"I believe it." Elyse smiled back, but she wasn't feeling friendly at all. Her mind was spinning with schemes. It was time to set her plan in motion. She needed Valentina to relax, open up, and spill some fucking secrets.
Once they entered the boutique, a team of stylists fluttered around Valentina, gushing and fangirling incessantly over the blonde's stunning model-like physique. They brought out several bottles of rare and ridiculously expensive champagnes. Two wine glasses were filled to the brim. One for Valentina and one for Elyse.
Everyone was treating Valentina like the star of the show, and the bride-to-be soaked up the adoration and attention. Elyse didn't hold back, either, making sure to shower her stepsister-in-law with dozens of flowery, heartfelt compliments that would've made Alessandro proud. It wasn't difficult to do. The blonde looked breathtaking in every single dress she tried on.
The stylists plied Valentina with glass after glass of champagne in between gown changes. Elyse nursed her glass of bubbly very, very slowly, watching the blonde's cheeks grow rosier and rosier as the hour dragged on.
Champagne had been Malina's suggestion. The housekeeper claimed that Valentina possessed a weakness for fine spirits. They loosened her tongue whenever she got drunk. As champagne bottles dwindled and emptied, Valentina eventually settled on an over-the-top, show-stopping, vampy, corseted ball gown full of crystals and voluminous tulle skirts. The dress cost more than Elyse's old salary as a surgeon, but the expense was worth it. Valentina seemed to be in an excellent mood.
On the car ride home, Elyse made her move on her tipsy charge. "Ms. Rizzo?"
Valentina giggled and hiccupped. "Hmm?"
"You know," Elyse mumbled, "I was thinking..."
The blonde hummed snarkily, "Buon per te." Good for you.
"You were right."
“I know. I am always right,” came her instinctive response. Then, Valentina scrunched up her nose. She suddenly looked confused. " Wait . What am I right about?"
"Your mother should be at your wedding. It feels wrong to keep her away on your special day."
Blue eyes glazed over. "Finally, we agree on something!"
Elyse chose her next words carefully, "I'll see what I can do about Alessandro to change his mind about Carmen, but you must help me convince him."
Valentina sighed, "How, though? Sandro is as stubborn as a mule!"
"Alessandro has been looking for Father Boselli."
Valentino's expression sobered slightly. "Why?"
"He was hoping to have the priest conduct the memorial services for Aberto, Domenico, and Carlo," Elyse brought up, "but the man is hard to track down."
The blonde's drunken gaze sharpened. "Sounds like you are desperate to find him."
Elyse sidestepped Valentina's accusation and inquired, "Maybe you could ask around for me?"
Valentina muttered coyly, "You are not going to find Father Boselli that easily, Dr. Romero."
"What do you mean?"
"I know Car—"
The moment the words left the blonde's mouth, regret flickered across her beautiful face, and she held them back.
Elyse watched her intently. "What do you know about Father Boselli?"
"Nothing," the blonde snapped as her lips clammed up .
Elyse furrowed her brow. What was Valentina about to say before she stopped? Car—
Cara Berlusconi? Maybe.
Carmen? Unlikely. Valentina never referred to her mother by her first name.
Someone else?
Or something else entirely?
It seemed Valentina might know a thing or two about the priest's whereabouts, after all, as well as something about the guilty parties involved. Elyse didn't press her for more information, though. Valentina seemed like the kind of person who would respond better to a lighter touch than a heavy hand. Elyse launched another attack from a different angle.
"If you can find Father Boselli," she urged quietly, "my husband might change his mind and let Carmen attend your wedding."
Valentina stared at Elyse with a sullen pout. Realization seemed to hit the blonde, at last. Elyse watched the emotions play across Valentina's face. The other woman clearly recognized that she’d slipped up, said too much about Father Boselli, and backed herself into a corner.
Valentina scowled deeply. "How foolish of me. I thought you invited me out to try on dresses. I did not realize I was actually here to negotiate my mother's freedom."
"You want your mother back. I want the priest. You know something about his whereabouts. Don't pretend otherwise. We could help each other."
Slurring only a little, Valentina whined, "The... champagne. You got me drunk on purpose."
Elyse feigned ignorance. "Did I?"
"Well played, Dr. Romero," Valentina grumbled. "Your tactics are underhanded but effective."
"I'll take that as a compliment, I guess."
"You and I are not so different, you know."
An uncomfortable feeling wrestled inside Elyse. Was she becoming as black-hearted as Valentina? Grudgingly, Elyse admitted, "We may be more similar than I thought."
Valentina huffed, "Instead of harassing me, though, you should go talk to your husband. Father Boselli is not important in light of what Sandro has planned."
Elyse tried to keep her surprise from showing as she demanded, "What's Alessandro planning to do?"
And why didn't she know anything about it?
"I will bring you to your missing priest," Valentina drawled in a languid, inebriated manner, purposely dodging Elyse's question, "if Sandro allows my mother to return to Palermo, not just for the wedding, but... permanently... under the clan's protection."
Elyse felt somewhat frazzled. Her thoughts were still stuck on Alessandro as she tried to keep up with Valentina's demands. She muttered, "I don't know about a permanent return to Palermo, but—"
"Make it happen," Valentina barked, "or our deal is off."
Elyse glared at the blonde. "You're not in a position to negotiate the terms."
"Think again," Valentina taunted, "Sandro needs me more than he needs you right now."
Confusion twined with suspicion. What did Alessandro need from Valentina? Was the blonde referring to her connections with Célia's family? Her marriage to Gaspare? Or had there been some other agreement Valentina struck up with Alessandro on the sly?
Elyse's confidence wavered for a second before she found her voice, "I doubt it."
Valentina shot her a pitying look, unnerving Elyse once more, as she stated, "There is so much you do not know, Dr. Romero."
Elyse couldn't tell if Valentina was bullshitting or not. The woman was intoxicated and naturally vindictive. Elyse understood that everything the blonde said needed to be taken with a grain of salt, but unease still scoured her senses.
"A revolution is coming," Valentina continued cryptically.
Elyse prayed this was the champagne’s faut. "What the fuck are you talking about?"
"All opposition must be removed. Sandro and I need a clear path to the future."
Chills rattled Elyse's blood. Valentina didn't sound that drunk anymore. She sounded very much like a dictator in the making.
"Our main obstacles have been removed," argued Elyse, "Aberto, Domenico, and Carlo are gone. We don't need more dead bodies."
Valentina tittered in amusement "Relax, we are not planning to kill anyone. Not any time soon, anyway."
No violence? Then, how were they planning to remove the opposition? Echoes of Alessandro's voice clashed into her consciousness.
If needed, I will take the fall.
Elyse's thoughts began to spiral.
Take the fall?
Something clicked within her. An image of Renata's necklace rose from the recesses of her mind. Was Alessandro planning to follow in his mother's footsteps? To leak evidence to authorities and set up their opposition in some kind of trap?
Mierda.
If this was the case, it felt risky as fuck, and the whole setup could backfire on Alessandro in a big way. Omertà was the mafia's code of silence. Malina had told her about it. No mafioso could offer up evidence of their criminal activities to authorities and expect to live long.
After all that has happened to us, don’t you want to escape this hell?
Suddenly, the car couldn't seem to drive fast enough.
I am your fool in every way, Elyse.
Elyse's desire to find Alessandro and get to the bottom of this madness far outweighed everything else.
I love you, I love you, I love you.
Elyse didn't know what her husband was planning to do, precisely, but she sure as hell wasn't ready to part from him in any fucking way, shape, or form.