CHAPTER THREE
RAINA
It seems lately that every week means another funeral. Three of my six brothers are dead, all due to the Bonettis, a rival family with no moral compass. Most people would say any mafia family is lacking in integrity, and mostly they aren’t wrong, but some of them are worse than others. The fact that this all started over a parking spot is unbelievable. My brother Vincenzo is dead because he dared to park in Nico Bonetti’s parking spot. And that asshole decided that one spot was important enough to start a mob war. Fucking idiot.
Now Tony is also dead, and my father is losing his grip. He isn’t responding like a mafia Don should, or normally would. He’s breaking as his sons get picked off one by one. The tension in our home is palpable, as my mother cries endlessly, and my father comes unglued.
Two of my three dead brothers were at the Bonetti club when they were killed. It’s something I’ve never understood. Why would you go to your enemy’s place and expect this to not happen? They allow rival families in, without weapons, and they aren’t allowed in the VIP area. Knowing the Bonettis are armed, but you are not, seems awfully risky to me. I’ve always thought that was asking for trouble, however, as a woman, my opinion is not valued or listened to at all.
“Raina, a good mob wife knows her place.”
I’ve heard it more times than I can count, and every time my mother says it, I want to stab myself in the fucking eardrums. Maybe she’s fine with a life like that, but I’m not. I’ll never be the good wife that does whatever my husband says, which is why I am not marrying Gabriel Ferrari, as my parents have mentioned several times. I will run, and they’ll never see me again, before that happens.
Normally, dinner time is filled with chatter, but tonight it’s the complete opposite. The three empty chairs are blatantly obvious, more so than an empty seat would usually be. My mother’s gaze bounces between them, while my father grips his fork so hard, I wonder if he’s going to injure himself. My three brothers eat silently, and I know all of us are wondering the same thing. Which of us is next on the Bonettis’ hit list. Reaper Bonetti specifically. We don’t know if they were targeted because of who they are, because this asshole is a serial killer, and will kill anybody for no reason, but three from the same family cannot be a coincidence.
My father addresses my remaining brothers; Edoardo, Aldo, and Rocco.
“If I find out any of you is at that fucking club, there will be hell to pay. Why my sons are handing money over to Bonetti scum is beyond me. There are other places to drink and find pussy.”
My mother makes a face, like she just bit into a sour lemon, because what my father said bothered her, yet she’s a good mafia wife, so she wouldn’t dare say a word to him.
I roll my eyes as I stab at a piece of chicken on my plate, and my father notices.
“Something to say, Raina?”
Shaking my head, I say, “No, father.”
While I have a lot to say, I know better, especially when he’s on edge.
He turns to Rocco. “Everything set with the girl?”
My mother and I exchange worried glances, but stay silent while listening to their conversation.
Rocco chuckles obnoxiously.
“Bella, almost Bonetti, is pregnant with Reaper’s baby. I will bring her to you tomorrow.”
My mother gasps loudly.
“Gio. Not the baby.”
He arches an eyebrow at her and growls.
“Silence. They killed three of your babies. Why should any of them survive? Next will be the head Bonetti’s child, Lucia. We will kill every fucking one of them, and the wives too.”
My mother hangs her head down, but doesn’t say anything further. Her saying anything at all was surprising, because she never speaks unless spoken to. My father doesn’t hit her, but he definitely controls her, and I don’t blame him entirely, because she allows it. By doing everything he says, and never questioning him, she consents to it. It’s not entirely her fault though, because it’s how our family has always been. It seems I’m the only one that has a problem with it. I knew, the second the words came out of Rocco’s mouth though, that it would be upsetting to my mother. I had seven brothers, but the firstborn was killed by a rival family, and my mother has never recovered. She has always thought children should be left out of adult fights.
We don’t send babies into wars. Why should they be casualties?
I don’t disagree with her, but again, it doesn’t matter what we think. If my father has decided Reaper’s baby is to die, it will. We can’t save anyone other than ourselves.
My father glances at Edoardo.
“Everything set up?”
He nods.
“Yes, the basement is ready with the tools you requested.”
His face shows the first grin I’ve seen since this started, but it’s pure evil.
“Perfect. I’ll cut that fucking demon out of her, and send a picture to the Bonettis as a warning.”
Is my father an idiot? He might be, because that’s not going to make them back down. If anything, it’s going to cause more carnage, not less. They are not going to lose two family members and do nothing. I am sure my father doesn’t intend for this Bella woman to survive. I have tried to keep my mouth shut, but he’s playing with all our lives, so I can’t keep quiet.
“You do know they will retaliate? They aren’t going to back down after your warning. You are going to kill one of their women, and an innocent child. If anything, you are escalating this war. Cutting a child from its mother’s stomach?”
I shake my head with disgust before continuing.
“That’s not retaliation, it’s heinous, worse than anything a Bonetti has ever been accused of.”
He glares at me, and I rise from my seat before he speaks, because I know his words before he even opens his mouth.
“Go to your room, Raina. Now!”
“She’s right, Gio,” my mother says as I exit the dining room. For a moment, my chest swells with pride that my mother spoke up, however briefly. Maybe she’ll be sent to her room for being disobedient as well.