Arranged

Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27

C armella

What the hell are you doing, Carm? You’re insane. You’re placing your trust in a man who obviously isn’t who he represents himself to be.

The nagging had persisted all through the drive to Maria’s house. I’d insisted on coming, but right now, I was shaking like a leaf, incapable of putting coherent thoughts together. I didn’t know the man at all. I’d said that at least a dozen times, but now I was certain no one inside the organization knew him either.

Granted, very few of the soldiers were buddies, at least not in the traditional sense. Sure, a few of them had drinks together, but they’d been trained not to develop friendships because the life expectancy was so short. However, there was a sense of camaraderie between the ranks, loyalty remaining high. They watched each other’s backs, willing to be shot or cut with a blade to help another.

That was the single aspect about the syndicate that I admired. When so many people inside traditional businesses were dog eat dog, only out for themselves, syndicate soldiers remained a true team.

Almost like those in the military. That’s why I understood and could recognize the behavior.

Including in Alejandro.

I took a deep breath after issuing the special knocks. When the door was cracked, a bright beam of light was immediately flashed into my face. I winced and held up my arm, trying my best to whisper words that would be audible without breaching needed silence.

“Maria. I’m here to help. Let me in.”

Whoever was holding the flashlight hesitated, but she finally lowered it. I crawled inside, slowly closing the door behind me. There was a thick lock, and I immediately engaged it.

“Is there a light?” I asked. That’s when I heard a muffled laugh from a little girl.

“It’s okay, Jess. We’re still playing a game. We just have a new player. I told her about hide and seek.”

Maria’s voice was shaky, but she was doing her best to keep it as calm as possible. “Yes, hide and seek. My favorite game. I think we’re winning.” I swung my flashlight around the room, noticing a switch. When I turned it on, a soft glow brought an end to the insufferable shadows.

I’d never liked the dark, but after tonight, I had a feeling the nightmares I’d experienced as a child would return.

Maria took a step back, pulling her little girl to her side. She had a look of recognition in her eyes. “You’re Carmella Lupini.”

“Well, I’m Carmella Banderas now. I’m married to your brother.”

She tilted her head and I noticed a flash of indignation or even anger. But she tried to hide that as well. “Why are you helping us?”

I knew exactly what she was referring to. How could I give a shit about anyone since my father was a murderer? “I’m a doctor, Maria. I’m not in the organization.”

“You could have fooled me.”

Okay, wow. This wasn’t going to be easy. But I couldn’t say I blamed her. “I’m sorry you were put in this position. It’s the last thing Alejandro would ever want.”

She snorted and looked away. “Sure. Whatever.”

“Are you okay?” I tried to follow her lead, keeping my voice calm, admiring the little girl who had her rapt attention on a book in her hands.

“We’re fine. Just fine.”

I remained closest to the door, studying the two of them. The little girl had dark hair, the woman sitting in front of me a striking blonde. But that meant nothing. I had no idea why I’d purposely placed myself in harm’s way. There was no reason other than I had some sense that whatever was happening was more involved than just typical syndicate wars.

They were usually straightforward, even with the use of computers and social media. The feeling had grown stronger over the last twenty-four hours. What bothered me was how terrified I was of what I’d discover. The last thing I could tolerate was having my world turned upside down yet again.

Maybe because I actually cared about Alejandro more than I’d wanted to or believed possible. There were no sounds coming from outside the walls, only Maria’s heavy breathing matching my own.

“Jessica. This is Carmella. She’s a special friend.” Maria was definitely choosing her words carefully.

Jessica finally dragged her attention away from her books, lifting her pretty little head. Staring back at me were a lighter but vivid shade of green, her eyes exactly like… Alejandro’s. My breath caught and I feared the shiver coursing down my spine.

“Hi,” I managed. “What are you reading?”

“Wed Widing Hood.”

“Oh, an amazing story.” And in a weird way, how appropriate.

“Why?” Maria drew my attention away from the startling moment.

“Why?”

“Why tolerate the life?”

I almost laughed. “Because I have no choice. But I do live a different life in another town. I have a pediatric clinic.”

“Oh, really?” She still didn’t believe me. “Where did you go to school?”

“Duke University. I graduated with honors. I interned at a hospital in Boston before working for a doctor outside of Chicago for three years. When I had an opportunity to open my own clinic, I took it. Owning my own place of business is a challenge, but well worth it. Only I miss my patients.”

Boom!

The loud noise brought a yelp from Maria. She slapped her hand over her mouth.

“The room is soundproof,” I reminded her, although obviously not to the sound of close gunfire. That didn’t bring much comfort, but I did see a softening in her eyes as if she believed what I was telling her.

“They’ll find us.” Her words were barely whispered.

“Alejandro knows what he’s doing.”

“He just thinks he does.”

Pop! Pop!

There was no disguising the sound of gunfire. Maria grabbed Jessica, pulling the little girl into her lap. Thankfully, Jessica didn’t shout or cry. She merely sat with a terrified look in her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

And she whispered a single word that would haunt me for months to come.

“Daddy.”

* * *

Alejandro

I dropped and rolled, barely avoiding being shot. I jerked to the right, firing off two shots of my own. After scrambling to my feet, I lunged forward.

The fucker went down hard while another flew into the living room with his gun raised. I was too close to him to get off a decent shot, instead smashing his head with a lamp. The room went dark and the man issued a hard grunting sound.

But he didn’t go down.

I powered a series of punches into his face and abdomen, buying a few seconds as his body was pitched backward. Without hesitation, I leveled him by issuing a single shot into his skull. For some reason, he was still wearing a smile as he fell backward onto the hardwood floor.

With two down, the third yet to make his appearance, I shoved my body against a wall so I could check the status of the ammunition.

After slapping the magazine back into place, I shifted closer to the kitchen, immediately turning out a light.

While there was no clear indication of who the men were working for, their technique indicated DEA or another agency. Although I wouldn’t place a huge bet on it at this point.

There were too many questions still up in the air.

Why would the DEA come after me? Unless they’d been told I was the one who’d gone rogue. Had Louis double-crossed me, getting himself killed in the process? I’d weed through the shit later.

I shifted into the kitchen, hugging the wall. With my vision becoming used to the darkness, I crept toward the small den, hoping to corner the fucker. They’d checked the house at least once, ready to tear it apart. From what I could tell, Maria had tried to make it look like she’d left in a hurry, but men like them weren’t easily fooled.

At least at this point, all three were safe.

I crouched lower, hearing a single noise coming from the other side of the wall. With the weapon in both hands, I lifted and bent my arms, waiting as patiently as possible.

A slight creak of the floorboards allowed me to suck in my breath. When the fucker slipped past the doorway, I attacked, first smashing the weapon across his head.

He stumbled backward, a wild shot firing because of his itchy trigger finger. I kicked him hard before lowering my weapon and turning on the light.

He tried to jerk up until he realized there was a barrel of a weapon inches away from his face. At least his weapon spun out of his control. I kicked it away and took a step back.

“I’m going to ask you a single question one time only. You answer it and do so correctly, I’ll let you live. Who are you working for?” I didn’t recognize his face, but that meant nothing. There were approximately forty-six hundred special operatives with thousands of other support personnel within the organization.

He glanced around me, likely realizing he wasn’t getting any backup. “I could ask you the same question.”

“Identify yourself.” The two words indicated I was uncertain what line I was walking or working on. That alone gave the fucker time to lunge forward.

I was forced to make a choice.

I fired.

Pop! Pop!

Almost in slow motion he dropped to the floor, staring up at the ceiling as the life faded from his eyes.

I’d shot him in the chest, not what I usually did when handling Santorelli business. Reaching down, I ripped open his jacket.

He was wearing a bulletproof vest. However, one of the bullets had pierced it, the angle driving through at least one vital organ.

Sighing, I took a step backwards, leaning against the wall. The shit had just gotten real. I didn’t give a crap how or why I’d been compromised. The fact I had told had my mind shifting gears.

No matter how this was spun, if Louis was dead, my classification would go from being a rogue agent to a killer.

There was no time to lament over how much blood had been spilled. I headed into the bedroom, flicking on the light. After flinging the closet door open, I immediately moved toward the hidden compartment, issuing the three knocks.

It seemed to take forever for the lock to be disengaged. When the door was opened, a weapon greeted me in the face.

“It’s okay.”

Carmella’s face flooded with relief. She crawled out, throwing her arms around me. I backed us out of the closet briefly. “Three men are dead. I’ll explain later. I don’t want Jessica to see the carnage.”

“Understood. I thought… When I heard the gunshots, I was certain you were dead.”

“You can’t kill me that easily, baby. Besides, I made you a promise. Go grab them and we’ll leave the way we came in.”

She eyed me warily, but nodded, immediately heading into the closet. When she stopped and turned sharply, I sensed something was off.

“Alejandro!” she screamed.

I lunged forward, tackling her to the floor just as a shot was fired. I pushed her to the side, spun and immediately fired.

The fucker I’d thought dead in the kitchen had made a miraculous recovery. Only this time, that wouldn’t be possible.

He had two bullets in his brain.

* * *

“What in the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Don Lupini’s face was red.

“I’m trying to keep my family safe. That is what you want, correct?” Carmella was as hot as her father. He’d initially refused to turn over Gabriel after learning two unknown assailants had been shot outside Santorelli’s residence had notably alarmed him. I didn’t blame him for that. I’d yet to determine if the two simultaneous attacks were related.

That would happen later.

As the Don threw me a look, Carmella stepped in front of his line of sight. “Don’t look at him, Daddy. Gabriel is my son, my flesh and blood. I take care of him and have since he was born. You barely acknowledged Gabriel’s existence at first, treating him as if a bastard child. Just like you did with me the moment you learned I was pregnant.”

“You know better than to air our dirty laundry in front of non-family members.”

Even in my mind the Don was going too far. I did understand what having your entire family placed under duress did to someone. Plus, it was late, close to midnight at this point. Gabriel was likely asleep as was everyone else in the house.

Only the Don had been awakened by Drago. The soldier had been following my directions, Drago also placing extra security around the Lupini estate.

“Dirty laundry, Dad? You wanted my presence. You wanted me involved in your world. Here I am. I thought you’d given up on the fact I’d been tainted when you threatened to give my son to a man who to this day has yet to acknowledge him as his. I guess I was wrong. But you need to keep in mind. This is my boy and my life. Now that I’m married to a man you supposedly respect and am smack in the middle of your dangerous world, you’re going to allow me to run my life the way I see fit. Period. I will say this. At least Alejandro made certain that piece of shit Derek didn’t bother me again.”

I’d warned the Don once before not to talk to my wife with harsh words. I guess he hadn’t bought fully understood that using physical violence would not only not be tolerated, but it was also punishable by whatever method I saw fit.

I’d promised Carmella I’d stay in the background. She’d suspected her father would be difficult. However, I couldn’t do that any longer.

When he raised his hand as if determined to slap her, I was too quick for him. I grabbed his hand, immediately bending it backward.

Carmella did nothing but stand with her head held high.

“I told you once before I would never allow you to talk badly to or about my wife. You will also never have the opportunity to harm her in any way. This is your final warning, Don Lupini. There won’t be another. Soon enough, I’ll be considered your equal. After that, we’ll talk again.”

He gritted his teeth from the pain and just as Carmella was going to try to stop me, I backed off. Yet I kept my gaze piercing and my chest rising and falling. No one, including the insufferable self-imposed emperor, would ever lay a finger on her.

I’d seen Don Lupini sporting different moods since the start of the alliance, but at that moment, I felt the heat of something entirely different. He felt as if his power was going to be stripped away. I could see it clearly in his eyes. There was an uncertainty I doubted had ever been there before.

There was no reason for me to feel anything for the man. What I did feel was the stark iciness between him and his daughter. While she’d never talked about him badly, other than hating him for the arranged marriage, I sensed she’d done her best to prove her worth to the man. He hadn’t minded teaching her about safety and weapons, tactical actions and what to do if captured, but at the end of the day, she was still a woman.

“Be careful, son. Power and greed can easily go to a man’s head. When it does, you lose all sense of yourself.” His advice almost brought a laugh up from my throat.

But I didn’t and wouldn’t because he was right.

“Duly noted, Don Lupini. I will take care of Gabriel as well. Don’t worry. You’re still his grandfather, but I’m his protector.”

“I’m going to get my son,” Carmella announced.

I turned to face her, stroking just underneath her chin. “Then we’ll go home.”

There was such a deep, dark expression in her eyes, it troubled me. But after what she’d been through, after learning about my family, I was amazed she was still the rock I’d grown to adore.

And I did adore her.

What I should do was head to the gifted safehouse, but my instinct told me otherwise. I had more control at the recently purchased house. At least for now.

“Good.” She smiled and didn’t bother to look at her father. As soon as she walked out, I rubbed my eyes.

“You’re a damn good fighter, Alejandro. I’ve heard incredible things about you. From what I can tell, you’re respected as well.”

With the door still open, I caught a glimpse of Drago and laughed. Yes, the sound was bitter. “I’m certain you have.” He followed my line of sight.

“Drago is a good man as well, just rough around the edges. I’m an old man and we both know it. I couldn’t offer Drago the training for leadership he needs. He’s old school. He grew up on the streets, forced to do what he needed to survive, but he’s loyal to a fault. He doesn’t like you, but he does respect you. That tells me you’re living up to your hype.”

“My hype. I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or a slanderous attack.”

He laughed. “You don’t think I love my daughter, but I do. I’ve been tough on her, but I didn’t want her believing that my world wouldn’t follow her. I wanted her prepared when it did. If that meant she learned to hate me, I accepted that. Maybe what I did by forcing her to marry was a terrible thing. While I’d hoped for the best, I honestly didn’t believe it possible. Until now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You love my daughter. And she loves you. Now, I doubt either one of you will say it to the other for now, but I can see it in both of you. I’m surprised, but pleased. The fool she was with earlier was a worthless prick. Not nearly worthy of my daughter’s attention. I hope you kill the man.”

“Not worth my time.”

“Understood. Just remember few men like another to raise their children.”

“He doesn’t have a choice. Answer me this, Don Lupini, and I don’t mean to question your decisions.”

“But how could I threaten to send her child to live with that man?”

I nodded, studying him carefully. “Yes.”

“I wouldn’t have carried through with my threat. In fact, if my daughter hadn’t begged me to leave him alone, the son of a bitch wouldn’t be breathing. However, I needed to ensure the connection was made. My daughter is as stubborn as she is beautiful and intelligent. Just take care of her, Alejandro. And my grandson. I hope to have many more.”

“Remember, you have two other children.”

“Who are also learning to hate me. I’ll give you one piece of advice. Never forget you’re a father and husband first. No matter how much power you gain or money you have. I wish I’d known.”

Everything about what he’d just said was haunting.

A father and a husband.

That’s exactly what I’d become and I would remember his words.

Until death do us part.