25. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Luca
There’s a difference between being born into this life and being brought into it. And Enzo Trovoli is showing that difference with every passing day. He is hotheaded, stubborn, and, worst of all, carries allegiances in places that I cannot control. He was supposed to shadow Romelo during a meeting with William. A meeting that would have given us access to the Trovoli clan’s hiding places. But William played Enzo like a fiddle, taunting him and making threats that never would have come to pass while I’m in charge. Unfortunately, Enzo didn’t understand that. And put a bullet in William before Romelo could tell him otherwise.
I release an irritated breath, trying to calm myself down. At this point, the kid is more trouble than he’s worth. But with Elise’s fragile mental state, I can’t get rid of him. Especially after I promised her I would let him live if she never attempted something like that again.
It’s only been a few days since Elise was released from the hospital, and even still, I cannot walk into my office without an uneasy feeling rushing through me. I’ve never been so frightened in my life, nor have I ever felt so helpless. It’s easy when you’re in power to forget that not everything is under your control. And Elise’s life is one of those things. She’s shown me on more than one occasion her determination when she’s been backed into a corner; now it’s my job to pay attention and make sure she’s never put into a corner again. I don’t think I could live with myself.
I’m pulled from my thoughts as Romelo enters my office with the bane of my existence in tow. Enzo has an expression of false bravery plastered on his face as he follows in behind Romelo, and I know immediately he’s fucked up. I remain seated, leaning back in my chair as I study them in irritation. Each time this kid is brought into my home, it’s more of a chance of Elise crossing paths with him. But I can’t bring myself to leave her alone. It’s a new emotion swirling inside of me that is making me weak.
I check my watch as I speak.
“Wow. Eighteen hours, and you’re already back. What did he do now?” I ask.
Romelo moves to speak, but I hold my hand up, silencing him. I shift my attention to Enzo.
“Do you hear your Capo speaking to you?” I ask.
Romelo pushes him forward, and he keeps his eyes lowered as he stands before me, further adding to my irritation.
“Look at me,” I growl out.
Enzo slowly lifts his gaze.
“I sent my mother money,” he says.
A laugh escapes me at the ridiculousness of it all. He and Elise are so naive when it comes to their family. His mother sold him off for five million, and she’s still contacting her son for money. And he’s so stupid, he’s still sending it to her—still giving her a chance to be part of his life when she quite literally sold him to the devil.
“How much?” I ask.
Shock appears on Enzo’s face as he thinks about his answer.
“Three thousand,” he says.
I slowly stand, pulling my gun from the drawer in my desk. Enzo’s eyes widen, and he takes a step back, but Romelo grabs him by his throat, forcing him to his knees.
“You were man enough to disobey your Capo’s orders; be man enough to face the consequences,” he says.
I chuckle to myself as I place the silencer on the end of the weapon, shifting my attention to Enzo.
“Three thousand. Is that what your life is worth to you? Because that’s what it has cost you. Your life,” I say as I move around the desk.
Enzo is trembling as I come to stand over him, studying him in fascination. He and Elise are so similar. He would go against me for what he thinks is right. In this situation, it’s using the allowances I’ve been giving him to help his mother, even though I expressed that he is no longer allowed to contact her.
“If I didn’t give her the money, she would have been killed. The Trovolis found her and has approached her about me. She’s had to use all of her funds to—”
I can’t help myself. I laugh. It’s so comical hearing how his mother is playing him. And he’s so young and naive that he doesn’t realize just how much money she would have had to tear through for that story to be true. I’m willing to bet she’s trying to collude with the Trovolis right now for more money. She’s officially becoming a problem. But not a problem I can’t get a solution out of before I have to get rid of it.
I place the tip of my gun against Enzo’s head, letting him feel the chilling press of steel against his flesh. A euphoric sense of joy washes over me as I watch his physical reaction to the threat. The fear inadvertently causes his body to tremble and his breathing to accelerate without his control. It’s always amusing to me that people can react this way when faced with death and still go about their actions that will lead to this result.
“Three strikes, Enzo. That’s three,” I say.
And normally, I would be rid of him at this moment. Normally, regardless of my wife’s desperate attempt to hold onto some semblance of family, I would pull the trigger. But I can’t. Not when I’m missing a mirror in my office because of Elise’s suicide attempt. Not when this kid is the only thing keeping her alive for the moment—the only thing that helps her tolerate this lifestyle.
“You’re out,” I say, lifting my weapon.
Enzo releases an audible gasp and looks at me in shock, but I put my weapon away as an idea forms. I pull out my phone, tossing it to Enzo as I speak.
“Call her,” I say.
Enzo hesitates, watching me warily.
“I—”
“That wasn’t a request.
As I stand at the top of the massive meeting hall, I find myself contemplating my decisions. I have inadvertently made my life much more complicated trying to accommodate my wife. Seeing how many things have come to pass because of my weak decisions makes me understand why I can’t be soft in this business. I never should have told Elise about her brother, and I never should have taken him under my wing. And when I did, I never should have revealed why.
But hindsight is 20/20.
And I no longer feel like playing into the role of someone who accommodates.
“Everyone is in place,” Romelo says, stepping up beside me with Nicolai in tow.
Our attention remains focused below, where Enzo stands, waiting for the arrival of some very important guests. Guests who were stupid enough to believe the lie fed to them. I had Enzo tell his mother he was willing to defect and help the Trovolis. Initially, I wanted to use every person who had a hand in my father’s death as an example, but I have been forced to rid myself of them without the anticipation of fear. They will all meet their end briefly.
Nicolai speaks, breaking the silence. “Are you sure this is necessary? He is still a kid. This might be too much for him.”
I scoff. “He’s a kid who should’ve been dead a long time ago. I’ve been coddling him because of who his sister is. He needs to learn what this world is truly like,” I say.
“But isn’t this the kind of thing that pushed Elise to the edge?” he adds.
I note that Romelo visibly tenses next to me from Nicolai’s choice of words, but I only laugh. Nicolai has always been the voice of reason between the three of us. This time is no different. But I don’t always need a reason to justify my decisions.
“Yes, it is,” I say, just as the doors below open.
Enzo’s mother walks in with a smug expression, pulling her son in for a hug as a large group of Trovolis enters behind her. I smile as I recognize most of them from our wedding. But there is one face I don’t see. The only face that matters at this point, as it seems she is the one pulling the strings.
Arianna Anderson is nowhere to be seen.
“See? Just as I told you. My son would never turn on me. He works for who I tell him to,” she says to the entering Trovolis.
I release a huff of irritation before turning to Romelo.
“On my mark,” I say as I leave our hidden place on the balcony to join the dissidents below.
The laughter I hear is enough to make my blood boil. It gives me a visceral reaction to listen to these people who planned for my father’s demise and the downfall of the Pasquinos enjoy their lives. They still don’t know their place, a trait Elise shares with them, and it makes me angry.
As I reach the bottom of the steps, I dramatically push open the double doors leading to the meeting hall, my smile genuine as I greet the family I’ve been hunting down for weeks.
“Good evening, Trovolis,” I call as I enter the room.
Each of them tense as they take me in, some reaching for their weapons as I step deeper into the room.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I warn. But just as the first Trovoli unveils his weapon fully, the hidden sniper takes him out. The shot rings out as a bullet slices through his skull, and he drops in front of his family. Cries of shock fill the air as they realize this is a trap, some even running to the doors. And I let them. I let them pull on the locked door, only to realize there is nowhere for them to run.
“I know you probably thought you were summoned here by Eli’s prodigy, but you were not. You were summoned here by Lorenzo’s devil,” I say.
“Your lives will end here today. This is the end of the Trovoli line. And anyone who colluded with you to take down the Pasquinos. I must thank you, because of you, the world will know what happens when you cross us. You will be the warning on everyone’s lips for years to come,” I chuckle, holding my hands up. “Rot in hell, you filthy fuckers.”
I lower my hands, and a chorus of gunshots erupts throughout the chamber. I watch in pleasure as they all get shot down. Each of them is trapped like the cockroaches they are. A pleasurable feeling seeps into my bones, and I can’t help the smile that creeps onto my face as I watch the floor and walls slowly become painted red, and I watch in glee as Enzo realizes the extent of my power. He wasn’t aware this was going to happen. And as I watch the horror on his face as people are taken out in front of him, I hope he understands and thinks before ever crossing me again.
And as he kneels, vomit pouring past his lips, I know he understands. It’s as I said before, threats can only take you so far. Now, he understands the actual world his father was going to drag him into. He understands the meaning of actions having consequences.
My attention shifts to his mother, who screams with her hands over her ears. She has shown just how untrustworthy she is. She has no idea what fate awaits her once she separates from her son again—a son she sees as a meal ticket and nothing more, just like Eli.
I feel relief washing over me as the cries decrease. Once this is over, there will only be a handful of people left to track down, and even still, only one of them is a threat. But for now, I will return home to my beautiful wife. Even though she shares the blood of the people before me, she is still mine. And now that the threat has dwindled, I can’t wait to spend more time with her.
Things are looking up.