5. Romeo
Chapter 5
Romeo
W e hit traffic almost as soon as we pull away from Aurora’s apartment building. Cars are travel slowly, mindful of the slick, rain-covered streets. City living isn’t for me . There are too many people. Too many chances of someone stumbling onto something they shouldn’t. The air is pungent with the smell of a million people and nothing is clean.
Although there are some positives. People tend to turn a blind eye to anything that might give them trouble. And, on the rare occasion someone wants to play the hero, a hardened stare works well enough to send them away.
I turn my attention back to the woman in the backseat beside me with her stiff posture and body turned toward the door. Her jasmine scent has been teasing me ever since I walked into her apartment. The plan was simple: get Francesco’s location and then get rid of her. Make it look like an accident or suicide, scrubbing away any trace of me in her apartment.
But there’s something about Aurora Costa that intrigues me. I could chalk it up to being used to the energy shifting in a room whenever I walk in, or people cowering and there being none of that with her. But she’s like nobody I’ve ever met before. The fact that she was fucking smiling at the idea of me killing her, well, that fascinated me.
Watching the peace that came with her acceptance had me making a decision that could go one of two ways. Either it will be detrimental to my family or work exactly as I think it will in luring Francesco out.
Her lifeless body should be back in her apartment. She shouldn’t be sitting here, bound and blindfolded, as we head back to Massimo’s.
It takes us nearly two hours to get from Aurora’s apartment in Brooklyn back to Sandy Brook. The rain slowed us down, but once we left behind the city and apartment blocks turned into mansions with acres, the drive flew by. I expected Aurora to put up more of a fight as the journey went on, but the quiet has been soothing.
Daniele navigates the car, his attention occasionally shifting from the road ahead to the rearview mirror. He wants to know what my plan is, but he should know by now that whatever it is, I’ve thought it through. Bringing Aurora with us was the right move. If I’d killed her, we’d be back to square one with no clue where Francesco is. At least now we have something .
Aurora’s soft voice cuts through the quiet of the car. “Where are we going?”
My eyes roam freely over her, mentally tracing the contours of her body. There’s no reason for me to share that information with her. She’s my prisoner, my enemy. And yet, I still find myself replying. “To my cousin’s property. You’ll stay there until your father gives himself up.”
Her head dips, before she thinks better of it, and squares her shoulders, turning toward me. Even without her eyes on me, my body heats to an almost unbearable temperature. Just knowing that her intention is to give me her full focus is enough.
Aurora licks her lips. The sight of her pink tongue and the trail of wetness it leaves behind is a distraction that sends a shameful bolt of lust into my gut. Unfazed, she declares, “I’ve already told you, Francesco won’t come for me. You’re just wasting your time and delaying what we both know is going to happen to me.”
She’s adamant that death will be the inevitable outcome for her. I want to prove her wrong, but given that will most likely happen, I can’t. Instead, I rip my eyes away from her and reply, “We’ll see about that, cucciola .”
Aurora sighs heavily. The dull thud of her head dropping onto the headrest echoes around the car, and she mutters something to herself that I can’t quite make out.
Running my tongue over my teeth, I pick at a piece of lint on my pant leg. Lifting my eyes to her again, I say, “I’ll offer you some friendly advice, Aurora. If you want to make it out of this situation alive, get rid of the attitude. It’s a surefire way to end up at the bottom of the river.”
She flinches, and my brows pull together at the slight quiver in her jaw. It’s at odds with the strong-willed woman she portrays. When she turns back toward the door, I shake off the ache that settles in my chest. Pulling out my phone, I bring up the message thread with Massimo.
Romeo
We’re five minutes out.
Massimo
It would have been quicker if you took the helicopter. Just saying, cousin.
I don’t acknowledge his comment because, although it would have, I thought I needed the drive to clear my mind for the task at hand. My phone buzzes.
Massimo
Is it done?
The news of our guest will be best delivered in person. Massimo is the type of person to react, then ask questions. It’s served him well this far in life but, right now at least, it isn’t the kind of leadership we need. If I’m in front of him, he can let his frustration out on me and won’t make any rash moves.
I swipe left on the notification and open up my emails. Since touching down yesterday, I haven’t had a chance to filter through them. My legitimate businesses in Palermo are what keep me clean. Certain people that I do business with—typically politicians and police officials—prefer to operate under the guise of legality. It’s common knowledge what my actual job is, regardless of the front I put on.
When the convoy of cars pulls into the circular driveway of Massimo’s estate, I climb out before Daniele can bring the car to a complete stop. Rain pelts down, quickly soaking my hair and clothes. Does it only ever rain here?
Daniele doesn’t hesitate, stepping from the car and meeting me by the back passenger door. His shoulders hunch, and he lifts the collar of his jacket to cover his neck.
Speaking in Italian, I instruct, “ Take her into the house through the side entrance. Put her in the basement and leave the blindfold and restraints on. I’ll deal with her myself once I’ve updated Massimo. ”
“Yes, boss.” His words trail after me as I stride toward the house.
The sound of shoes crunching on the gravel mixes with the downpour of rain as I jog up the front steps. I’m intent on finding Massimo and getting a plan figured out on what our next move is, but there’s still an awareness of her. No matter how much I try to brush it off, it’s still there, burying itself under my skin and into my blood.
I push through the front door, coming to a halt at the eerie quiet that greets me. There’s a different atmosphere to the house now than there was yesterday. There’s no low murmur of chatter and people going about their jobs. You could hear a pin drop.
My hand itches to reach for my weapon, but with my guard up, I cross the lobby and head in the direction of Massimo’s office. The squeak of my dress shoes on the white marble floor echoes around me.
With a knock to announce my presence, rather than born out of manners, I push open his office door. I’m fully prepared for a shit storm when I break the news to him. Despite there being a clear hierarchy, sometimes Massimo forgets that I have the final say over things. The lines have blurred and been crossed many times between us and perhaps I’ve been too soft on him, given he’s my family.
I stroll into the room, not caring that droplets of rain are falling onto the cream carpet. Warmth hits me, closely followed by the stench of a man who hasn’t showered in a couple of days. I divert to the window, pulling it open a little before I take a seat in front of his desk. Aside from his laptop and a few manila folders, the desktop is clear.
My face twists, and I wrinkle my nose as I admonish, “ Cristo , cousin. Would it kill you to shower? It smells like something died in here.”
Massimo ignores my question. His bloodshot, tired eyes are wide and pleading for information. “How did it go?”
I huff out a laugh, turning away to look out the window. Rolling hills fill the view, the animals grazing, reminding me of home even with the downpour that is yet to ease up. Scrubbing a hand over my jaw, I try and fail to come up with the right words to ease him into our new circumstances.
At my continued silence, Massimo urges, “Come on, Rome. Now isn’t the time to block me out. Not when there’s so much at stake. What did you find out from her? Does she know where he is?”
He’s misinterpreted my silence for teasing. He should know better than anyone that I don’t need reminding of the gravity of the situation.
Shrugging, I fix my gaze on him and reply, “She’s in the basement.”
Massimo jolts up from his chair before I’ve finished my sentence. It rolls back, crashing into the bookshelf and rattling the items on display from the force.
“She’s where? Are you stupid, Romeo?” Indignation fills his voice, quickly followed by panic. “You can’t bring a dead woman back to my home .”
I stand, leaning my hands on the desk and holding his wide-eyed stare with mine. “Watch how you talk to me, Massimo. I’m still the head of this family and if I want to bring a fucking cemetery back to your house, I will. If I want to crucify a guy on your front lawn for your neighbors to see or paint your walls with the blood of our enemies, then I. Will. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
He glares at me before reaching for his chair and collapsing back into it. He drags a hand over his face, his exhaustion clear.
I smooth a hand down my chest before taking a seat. Crossing a leg over my knee, I reply, “I know this is difficult for you, Massimo, but questioning me is only going to end one way. Besides, I didn’t say she was dead.”
We stare at each other for a moment. I know he wants to question why I didn’t go through with the plan, why I brought her here, and what’s next. The muscle in his jaw ticks before he visibly forces his body to relax and asks, “So, what’s the plan with her now?”
My tone conveys authority when I reply, “She doesn’t know where he is, but I do know he has eyes on her. If he’s as smart as we’re giving him credit for being, I’m certain he will show up soon enough. And when he does, we’ll take care of them both. For now, she will stay in the basement.”
Massimo eyes me skeptically, but he’s taken the reminder of our hierarchy and I know he won’t argue with me, no matter how frustrated he is. “And how will we draw him out?”
Scrubbing my hand over my jaw, my gaze bounces around the office. Dark furniture fills the space, with a couch along one wall and two chairs against the opposite one. It suits Massimo. He’s never been a sunshine and light kind of guy. Even as a kid, he was always about the darkness. It’s what makes him so good as a don.
“By now, he should be aware that we have her. There was a live feed camera set up in the apartment across the road. Daniele and Leonardo went through the place, but it didn’t look like there was any sign of anyone having been there recently.”
Massimo nods distractedly. He tilts his head, asking, “If there didn’t look to be anyone there recently, how do we know he’s been watching her and it’s not some other creep?”
“The simple answer is, we don’t. At least not yet. Leonardo took the equipment and is on his way over to Callum’s for him to put a trace on it. See who it belongs to.”
Leonardo is Massimo’s underboss, and aside from Daniele, the only one who can handle Callum and his… unpredictable ways.
“Irish Callum?”
I nod. “He’s out of it.”
“You and I both know there is no out of the mafia, Rome. Whether that be the Irish, the Italian, or even the fucking Russian.”
Shrugging, I reply, “He’s as out of it as he can be. He knows how important this is, so we should have some answers in a few hours.”
A knock on the door halts our conversation. Massimo calls out for them to enter, and Daniele steps into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Romeo, Massimo.” He nods as he comes to a stop in front of the desk. “She’s in the basement. If you don’t need me, I’ll go get showered and pick up with Aldo on what he’s got.”
“Get some rest before you do. We need everyone to be on their A-game.” A plan forms in my mind, and as Daniele turns back toward the door, I call out to him. My eyes are on Massimo when I say, “I’ll be out for dinner this evening and I’ll need you with me.”
“Yes, boss.”
At least someone isn’t constantly needing a reminder of his position in this family. Massimo is staring back at me, his chin resting on his thumb and his fingers on his top lip. He cocks a brow.
“What?”
Sitting back in his chair, he moves a file from one side of his laptop to the other, replying, “Nothing.”
“Come on, Massimo. You didn’t have a problem questioning me a moment ago. What is it?”
He shakes his head, moving another file across, his focus on the task rather than me. “It’s not my place to question you, Rome. You’ve made that damn clear today.”
“And yet you’re going to. Say whatever it is you’ve got to say.”
Rolling his eyes, he finally brings his attention back to me, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. “Fine. Do you really think now is the time to be going out for dinner with your US flavor of the month?”
Chuckling, I pull on my cuffs. My demeanor shifts, and I sit forward, resting my elbows on my knees. “I’m taking my hostage out for dinner. We might not know for certain that it’s her father watching her, but we need to be seen if my plan is going to work.”
Massimo shakes his head in what I’m assuming is disbelief, huffing out a breath. “And showing her off for the world to see is how you’re going to achieve that? I guess that’s one way to get it done.”
“Exactly. And when we dispose of her, it will look like a rival has tried to exact revenge on me by killing ‘my woman’. It’s a win-win, really.”
Stifling a yawn, Massimo rests his elbows on the mahogany desk. “If you think this is the best way to get to Francesco, then I trust your judgment. I just hope it’s the right call, Rome, because he’s still out there and willing to take risks to get to us.”
Standing, I stuff my hands into my pockets and rock back on my heels. “I know what I have planned is risky and that leaving the estate could come with an array of problems, but we won’t find Francesco stuck behind these walls.”
What I don’t add, but hangs in the air around us, is that the sooner we get this resolved, the sooner I can leave.
Sincerely, Massimo replies, “I know. Just be careful, cousin.”
My lips curl upward and I throw him a wink. “Aren’t I always? I need you to get me a reservation, arrange for some publicity and then get some sleep. I meant what I said to Daniele; we all need to be on our A-game and we can’t do that if we’re exhausted. Oh, and I’ll need her to look like a woman I’d date.”
Without another word, I leave the office, moving on autopilot to our guest. Our entire existence comes with a level of danger at every turn, but the most dangerous person I’ve ever faced is bound and blindfolded in the basement.
Aurora is a distraction.
One I should spend as little time with as possible because she’s likely to get me killed.