19. Elio
ELIO
Our source from the police department came through, and we were able to track the movement of the black car I had seen at the Gambino house.
We got enough of the owner’s habits to know all the places the fucker liked to visit.
And it all led back to The Nest, a local bar in the worst part of Las Vegas, and also, the same business owned by Nova Inc.
I wouldn’t put it past them to use Nova Inc.
as an empty shell company to help them acquire businesses around Las Vegas and most of Nevada to not raise any red flags with us, or with the authorities.
And it might have worked, too. Had I not seen the car in front of the Gambinos’ house, Romeo wouldn’t have been able to uncover Nova Inc. as one of their companies.
Romeo and I were in the parking lot of the bar, waiting for the car’s owner to come out. It had been about an hour, and there were still no signs of anyone coming out to claim the car.
Romeo was silent in the seat beside me.
He and I were more similar to each other than we were to any of our brothers. We were both quiet, not caring much for words unless it was necessary.
It was nice.
When I needed company but also peace and quiet, I looked for him.
But while I was quiet, I wasn’t reserved like my younger brother. He kept everything bottled up inside him, and out of all my siblings, I knew him the least.
I glanced over at him. “How are you doing?”
He shot me a look. “What is this? A therapy session?”
I cracked a smile. “That’s not it, and you know it. Just thought I’d check on my little brother.”
“You know there’s only a two-year gap between us.”
“Still makes you younger.”
He shrugged. “I’m fine. You don’t have to worry about me. You’re starting to sound more and more like Massimo every day.”
“I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.”
“We already have one neurotic control freak. We don’t need another one.”
I laughed. “He’s not that bad.”
He raised his eyebrow at me.
I grinned.
“How’s Isa?” he asked.
“Good. She still has nightmares. I wish there was a way for me to erase the memory of that night from her mind.”
He nodded like he understood. And I supposed, to an extent, he did.
“Do you feel like it’s worth the risk, then?” he asked.
“The risk?”
“Of falling in love.”
“Who said anything about love?”
“Bullshit,” he said. “You’re either lying to me or yourself. Or maybe you’re more delusional than I thought if you don’t think you’re in love. I saw the way you looked at her back at that bar.”
“How did I look at her?” I asked curiously.
“Like there isn’t a line you wouldn’t cross for her.”
I stared straight ahead out the window. “I suppose you’re right,” I said quietly.
I was in love with Isa Gambino.
How did that happen?
I didn’t fucking know. I waited for the panic to take hold. It never came. Instead, all I felt was the resolve to make her mine as soon as possible.
I didn’t want to sneak around with Isa as if she was my dirty secret anymore. I didn’t want to sneak around behind Valentino’s back.
“I don’t think it’s for me,” Romeo said.
“Falling in love?” I asked. “Do you think it’s something you’ll have control over?”
He shrugged. “Hasn’t happened.”
“Yet,” I added.
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. I don’t want to be as vulnerable as you and Massimo are with Isa and Luna.”
I didn’t bother arguing with him. It would have to be something he found out for himself.
Movement at the front door caught my attention, and out walked Waylen Thompson, the fucking useless president of the Devil’s Wings MC. And next to him was Walter Thompson, his younger brother and VP.
We watched as they headed over to the car we had been monitoring.
Romeo didn’t say anything as he took in the scene.
Walter said something, and Waylen threw his head back and laughed, exposing his throat.
I imagined ramming the same knife I had taken from the MC bastard straight into his throat until his warm blood coated my hands.
And still, it wouldn't be enough to satisfy my anger.
They got into the car and, moments later, pulled out of the parking spot. I waited a beat before following them.
We stayed one car behind them, making sure they wouldn’t notice their tail.
It didn’t appear that they knew they were being followed. Waylen’s driving pattern remained the same.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to a small house in a remote area close to the desert. I had turned off the headlights before we even got close. There wasn’t enough light for us to see, but thankfully, Waylen’s car light remained steady, making it easy for me to follow him out.
We parked by a tree and shut off the engine. Romeo handed me a pair of binoculars, and I used them to look at the house.
It had a few sources of light around, with its front lawn brightly lit. And with the subtle hum of the music coming out, I’d say the fuckers were having a party.
How rude. They didn’t even think to invite us.
The Thompson brothers stayed outside, smoking a cigarette. I watched as the front door opened, and a small girl with blonde hair and big eyes walked out. She was carrying a tray of what looked like fruits and handed it over to Walter.
Was this… Nova Thompson?
She looked nothing like how I expected her to look. For one, there was nothing confident about her posture. She walked like she was trying to make herself as small as possible and not draw any attention to herself.
And her expression…
There was something haunting about it.
It was almost like she didn’t want to be there.
Beside me, Romeo tensed.
I turned and looked at him, unsure of what to make of that.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Yes,” he answered, his voice sounding normal. “What are we going to do?”
“We can’t just walk in. There are too many of them, and I’m not entirely sure everyone in that house is there because they want to be.”
The air seemed to thicken with my words. I couldn’t see Romeo’s expression very well, so I didn’t know what he was thinking or feeling, but it felt as if the air had changed because of him.
“Let’s just make note of this location and go back and tell Massimo and Matteo what we found.”
“That’s the car you saw at the Gambinos’ house,” Romeo stated.
“Yes,” I answered, already knowing where he was going with this.
“Joseph has been colluding with the Devil’s Wings MC.”
“Seems like it.”
“That’s a death sentence.”
“I know.”
“Do you know how Isa feels about her father?”
I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t because I didn’t know. She never really talked about him, and I wondered just how much it would impact her to find out we were going to kill him.
But before that, I needed to marry her and get her dissociated from the Gambino name.
Valentino would be okay because he already made a name for himself in our circle to stand on his own without having the name of a traitor drag him down.
But Isa was different. Not everyone would be so forgiving of her for her father’s sins.
We left as soon as the Thompson brothers went inside, my mind still reeling over everything.
I parked the car in front of Massimo’s house.
The lights were on, and it seemed we weren’t the only ones who thought to visit Massimo at this time of night.
At least two other cars were there.
Romeo and I shared a look as we got out of the car and walked inside.
I found Aldo, Joseph, and Valentino sitting in Massimo’s living room, with both of my brothers there. Luna was nowhere in sight. I didn’t blame Massimo for not wanting Luna to be around Aldo or Joseph.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Aldo looked up and smiled. I didn’t fucking like his smile one bit.
I didn’t fucking trust it.
“I’m here to get some answers. My daughter deserves to know, and you can’t just keep her waiting like this.”
I frowned and turned to Massimo.
He sighed. “Aldo is talking about setting up the arranged marriage between you and Chiara.”
I nearly smiled at the eagerness on the bastard’s face. I would have if I wasn’t feeling so wired.
Did he think I would ever even consider marrying Chiara?
Aldo took a sip of his scotch and turned to me. “Now, I know this is unexpected?—”
“No,” I interrupted.
He froze as he processed my words. “No?”
“No. There will be no engagement between Chiara and me. No marriage. I’m not marrying your daughter.”
“Why?”
“Do I need a reason?” I asked.
I wasn’t one of the foot soldiers. I answered to no one but my brother. And even Massimo wouldn’t have forced my hand into this. Did he really think I would have agreed?
“Chiara is a wonderful girl. And she would make the perfect wife for anyone.”
“Then you won’t have any trouble finding her a husband,” I said, turning away from him. I was done with this conversation.
Aldo sputtered something unintelligible, but Massimo cut him off.
“Well, we have our answer, then. I hope Chiara didn’t have her heart set on this agreement. But it is as Elio said. I’m sure you will be able to find a more suitable arrangement for your daughter.”
Aldo’s face turned red, but he didn’t say anything. Beside Massimo, Matteo grinned. I shook my head at him. He was enjoying this far more than he should have been.
He couldn’t argue with Massimo, not outright, at least. It would be taken as a sign of disrespect. In the end, he nodded curtly.
I turned to Joseph and Valentino. I doubted they came here to hear my answer to Aldo’s proposal. It didn’t help that Valentino’s face was dark with anger.
He didn’t want to be here.
But he had to be here.
And there was only one reason why he would go anywhere with his father. Isa.
Joseph wasted no time getting to the point. “I want control to set up Isa’s future marriage.”
I tensed.
What the fuck?
Massimo’s eyes briefly strayed over to me.
I worked hard not to react.
Valentino ran his hand over his face. “I am in charge of the Gambino household. I took over my father’s position, and I have done it well.”
Joseph’s face reddened from the slight jab.
“Everything in the Gambino house should be under me, like how it has been so far, including Isa’s marriage.”
“And when are you going to set that up? When the girl is over thirty and no longer able to have babies? She’ll be useless by then.”
I nearly jumped on him. Romeo placed his hand on my chest and shook his head, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Aldo. I clenched and unclenched my fist.
Valentino’s face darkened before he forced an easy smile. “I think it's been a while since you’ve been around another woman, Father. You seem to have forgotten how their biology works. Isa can still have babies past the age of thirty.”
Joseph looked over at his son with pure hatred in his eyes.
Matteo laughed, and Massimo shot him a pointed look.
“And even if she can’t have children,” Valentino gritted out, “it doesn't make her useless.”
Valentino looked at Massimo. “I request that nothing change except for one thing. For me to take full guardianship over my sister. I want to move her out of our father’s house.”
“You can’t fucking do that!” Joseph yelled, standing up. What a strong reaction to have to a daughter he viewed as nothing more than a broodmare leaving him. I narrowed my eyes at the fucker. Something wasn’t adding up.
Why did he want Isa with him so badly?
Massimo held out his hands. “The decision of who and when Isa marries will remain with Valentino. As for her moving out, I’ll give you my decision soon. I would like to know what Isa’s thoughts are about it.”
Joseph and Aldo looked at each other in surprise.
“Ask a woman for her opinion?” Aldo said, shaking his head. “It’s no wonder the De Luca empire is falling apart from within.”
He had said the last part quietly.
But I heard him.
And I wasn’t the only one.
Matteo jumped up and pulled Aldo from where he sat and pushed him to the ground until he was kneeling in front of Massimo, a small blade already in his hand.
He grabbed a fistful of Aldo’s hair and pulled up until the older man’s neck was exposed. “Did you just disrespect our capo dei capi ?”
Matteo’s voice was quiet. I imagined it was taking everything in him not to plunge the knife into the fucker’s neck.
Aldo tried to come up with a response, but there was nothing he could say to excuse what we had all heard.
“I’ve killed men for less,” Matteo said. Aldo began to shake.
“Don’t kill him in my house. I won’t have Luna see blood on her floors,” Massimo said casually.
Matteo turned and looked at Massimo. “I don’t have to kill him here.”
The rest of his sentence was obvious. He would take him somewhere else to finish the job.
Massimo sighed. “No, you’re not killing him. He gets one chance. Out of consideration for our father .”
The sneer that came with the word “father” coming from Massimo’s lips was subtle enough that I was sure most people didn’t pick up on it.
Matteo looked like he wanted to argue.
I walked over and placed my hand on his shoulder.
He pulled the knife away, but not his grip. “Apologize.”
Aldo sputtered out an apology that was as fake as his loyalty.
Massimo shook his head. “This meeting is over. Everyone, get out of my house. And please try not to come here and disturb my wife and me again. The next time you show up here uninvited, I’ll fucking cut off your leg.”
Joseph moved forward and helped Aldo up. They walked out of the house without another word.
I made my way over to Massimo’s makeshift bar in the corner and poured myself a generous amount of scotch. Then I looked at everyone in the room before focusing my gaze on Valentino.
It was time to bring Valentino in on all the shit that was going on with his father and the Devil’s Wings MC.