18. Zeno
CHAPTER 18
ZENO
“T hat bitch Rayleigh seduced me and then drugged me. When I came to, I was cuffed to the bed in this fucking getup.”
I put my head in my hands. “Jesus, Bruno, why would she do this?”
He lets out a snort. “If I could get some blood circulating to my fucking brain, I might be able to come up with a reason. Now can you un-fucking-cuff me?”
Since she took the key, I need to improvise. I fumble around in his night table drawers for something that might unlock him. I find a paper clip, pull it apart, and jimmy the cuff until I get each one open. Bruno groans, stretching his arms overhead to get the blood flowing again.
“Thanks,” he grunts.
“Don’t worry,” I say. “I won’t let a day go by that we don’t reminisce about this little bondage…er, bonding moment.”
He flips me off just as Aldo’s head pops into the room.
“Holy shit!” he exclaims. “What the hell happened?”
Bruno grips the sides of his head and lets out a loud roar. “Shut the fucking door!”
A loud knock on the apartment door jolts me and I nod at Aldo to open it.
A minute later, Sergio storms into Bruno’s bedroom. He lifts an eyebrow. “I always figured you for a boxer guy, B.”
“Look, guys, we have a serious problem right now,” I say, shielding my eyes from Bruno’s studded undergarment. “But I really need you to put on some pants right now because I can’t concentrate with all of those studs flashing at me.”
Bruno grabs a pair of sweatpants and ducks into a corner for a quick change.
“Tell me, Zeno. Exactly what problem do we have? Or maybe I should ask what serious problem you caused for us now?” Sergio snaps.
“You know what, Serge? You have a right to be pissed off at what I did last night to those guys because it was stupid to go after those hackers by myself. I was angry and wanted to fix what they broke.”
“Oh yeah? And how’d that work out for you? How much deeper did you dig your grave?”
“Deep enough to find out who the hackers are working for and the real reason why Joe Salesi wanted me to go after Messina’s crew.”
Sergio furrows his brow. “Salesi? What does he have to do with the hackers?”
I rake a hand through my hair and pace over to the windows. “Those hackers weren’t just a bunch of genius kids from MIT looking to make a quick buck, Serge. They were hired by Domenico Messina. To come after me because I killed his son.”
“You killed his son ?”
“I didn’t know it at the time. It was part of the arrangement my father made for this fucking syndicate. The hit was supposed to be a message to Messina to stop screwing with Salesi’s territories. All business.”
“Then you killed his son and made it personal,” Sergio grunts.
“Salesi didn’t tell my father the truth about the target because he was trying to protect his own ass. This whole thing started because his daughter Lily was almost kidnapped by Messina’s son, something I didn’t find out until last night. The same Lily I met on my first night out here. Salesi wanted the kidnappers dead but knew he couldn’t have that blood on his hands. So he delegated it to us, using the syndicate as his shield, and Papa jumped at the chance to cripple Messina. And with the promise of membership to the syndicate, it was a win-win. Or so he thought.”
Sergio narrows his eyes. “Something tells me that’s not the end of this story.”
“Much as I’d like to tell you you’re wrong, as fucking wrong as that shock jock Bruno has on, I can’t.” My shoulders deflate and I push back my hair. “Last night at the club, after the hackers basically told me Messina is on our asses, I ran into Lily again.”
He groans. “Don’t tell me you fucked around with her again after you were told not to.”
“Of course, I did. But that’s not my point. There was a shootout last night in the back parking lot of the club. Car full of guys wearing masks sprayed a sea of bullets at me, Bruno, Aldo, Lily, and her friend. We jumped ship and headed to her friend’s place to hide since coming back here would have brought a shit storm to the Excelsior.”
I lean back against a wall. “Lily thought the bullets were meant for her. But I realized they were for both of us.” My lips stretch into a tight line. “I killed his son , Serge. And that asshole Salesi never let on who the real target was. I thought I was killing some low-level thugs.”
“Jesus,” Sergio mutters, sinking onto the mattress. “So now what?”
“We need to find the hackers. They can lead us to Messina. He needs to die. I’ve got a bad feeling about this syndicate meeting. All of us here together, at our hotel, with Messina here in Vegas. It’s not a coincidence. Something is gonna happen and we need to be the ones to stop it or else we’re all going up in smoke.” I let out a dry laugh. “All for one, yeah?”
Bruno walks toward us, rubbing the back of his skull. “I think you need to add one more person to your Most-Wanted list.”
“Tell me,” I growl.
“I woke up by myself in here,” he says. “Whenever the drugs wore off. It was dark and I couldn’t yell or move. Freaked me the fuck out. I didn’t know if I’d been gang-banged or what. The only thing that worked were my ears. I didn’t know if Rayleigh had left, and I couldn’t call for her, so I just listened. It was quiet for a few minutes, but then I heard voices. Guys. Right outside of my room. I figured they were there to tear my ass up with God only knows what devices. But they didn’t come inside. I caught little things here and there, never a full sentence. I heard them mention the word ‘bang’ but not much else that made sense. And then I heard Rayleigh again, talking about some meeting that went badly, that their client wasn’t happy. Said she had unfinished business to handle because nobody knows how to get a job done right. She sounded pissed.”
“Dammit, Bruno,” I say. “She’s with them . She knew we were together at Bang last night and that you have security access.” I kick over a chair in my rage. “And I found out from Mike DeLuca this morning that she took off right after I called you this morning. Left the hotel. The big question is what the hell did she do after she drugged you?”
“We need to find her,” Sergio grumbles. “And next time, I’m gonna be the one dangling people over the side of the parking deck, starting with her skanky ass.”
“I have an address.” I narrow my eyes at Bruno. “You wanna get dressed or something? So I can have another image of you in my head? Please? Because I can still see the shock jock.” My phone rings and I grab it from my pocket. “Yeah?”
“Zeno, it’s Mike.”
“Hey, what’ve you got? Anything new?”
“Just wanted to let you know that Rayleigh is back in the building. She was just flagged by one of the valets and is headed toward the concierge desk right now.”
I shoot a look at Sergio. “Okay, Mike. Keep an eye on her. I need to know where she is at all times, okay? If she makes a call, I want to know who’s on the other end. And watch what she’s doing on the network. I need to know everything.”
“Sure thing.”
I click off the phone. “Rayleigh is here.”
“Here where ?”
“At concierge.”
“Why the hell would she come back?”
“I don’t know, but she can’t see Bruno. Or me. Not yet, anyway. Mike will keep an eye on her.”
“She’s our only lead. We’re just gonna sit back and let her blow shit up on us?”
“We need to figure out what we’re dealing with. We have no way of finding Messina without her. She knows everyone is headed here today. Maybe she’s the whistle-blower.” I rub my forehead, rambling as I try like hell to figure out what she’s doing here. “We have to stand down right now.”
“All of a sudden, you’re the voice of reason,” Sergio mutters.
“I think it’s safe to say I’ve caused enough problems for us. At least let me try to fix this one.”
“I can’t believe Salesi didn’t tell your dad the truth about the hit.”
“Yeah, you and me both.” My jaw tightens. I have some choice words for him.
Later.
That is, if I can keep the rest of our world from detonating before then.
Sergio flings open the bedroom door and walks into the living area. “So, does everyone here have a price tag on their heads?”
“Um, not me,” Chloe pipes up. “I’m just guilty by association, I guess.”
He nods. “Unlucky for you.”
“Thanks,” she says with a roll of her eyes.
Sergio heads toward the door. “I’m heading into another meeting in a few minutes, Z. Keep me posted on Rayleigh. This time, I won’t stop you from using your tools.”
Bruno collapses into a chair in the corner with his phone and I reach out my hand to Lily, nodding toward the balcony. “Come on, let’s get some air.”
She laces her fingers with mine and jumps up from the couch. I pull open the sliding glass door and Lily walks outside. She looks around, her jaw dropping to the floor. “This is all his?” she squeals.
It is a pretty impressive space and it looks just like mine — an outdoor oasis with its own pool and sunbathing area. There are decorative fire pits on the far end of the pool, and tall green trees line the perimeter for complete privacy. Modern, sleek, and sophisticated.
One of the perks of being family.
I close the door and follow Lily over to the shallow side of the pool where she’s stepped into the water. Her eyes close and she stretches her arms overhead, taking in a deep breath.
The early morning sunlight dances on top of her head, making the gold flecks in her hair glimmer like a halo. Even with her faded makeup and sexed-up bed-head hair, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, and my tongue tingles in anticipation of tasting every inch of her supple skin.
Because that’s definitely happening, you know, after I’ve saved my family, her family, Chloe, and whoever the fuck else happens to hop on board this crazy train.
Lily’s eyes float open and tangle with mine. She smiles at me, lowering herself onto the ledge of the pool. “You see something you like?” she asks.
“I see everything I like,” I say in a husky voice.
“So why are you so far away, then?” She pats the ledge next to her, a come-hither twinkle in her eyes.
“Because I don’t trust myself to come any closer. If I do, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep my hands to myself.”
She nods. “Yeah, I’m counting on that.”
“So you’re thinking we need a little stress relief before we take on this notorious gangster family?”
“Maybe I need something to take my mind off of the fear,” she murmurs, twisting a strand of hair around her finger as she dangles her feet in the water.
I walk over to her and sit on the ledge, draping an arm around her shoulders. “I want to tell you not to worry.”
“But you won’t because you can’t.”
I rub the sides of my head. “I wish to God I knew what we were up against. And I wish you weren’t so stubborn. You must be Sicilian.” I grin at her.
A giggle escapes her lips before her smile fades. “My entire life I never really knew what I was up against, what anyone in my family was up against. I picked up things here and there from my brother Nico as I got older. He and my father have always been so protective of me, especially because I’d been trapped in Nico’s house with my sister-in-law Shaye and some lunatic who was looking to settle a score by killing us both.”
A shudder visibly quakes her shoulders. “I was really young, but I can still remember the screams, the shouting, and the gunshots. Shaye told me to stay in the bedroom, to lock the door, but I was petrified. She was alone with this crazy man and I had no access to a phone to call for help. I was just a little kid, but that memory is burned into my brain.” She lets out a sigh. “It’s always sitting on the back burner as a reminder of what we’re up against. What we’re always up against and what we all stand to lose if the worst guys win.”
“Lil, I’m sorry you went through that,” I murmur, rubbing my hand down her back.
“I didn’t sleep for weeks after that. The trauma was just so devastating…” Her voice trails off and she shakes her head. “But you know what? My sister-in-law is the one who ended up stopping him. She’s the one who saved us, even after he’d hurt her. She was so strong. So badass.” Lily smiles. “I always looked up to her after that. I knew she’d find whatever strength she needed to fight a battle. She was never the damsel. It was damn inspiring for me as a kid and as a young woman growing up. This life gives you two choices — you can cower behind the battle lines or charge the enemy.” She turns her gaze up to mine. “I choose the latter.”
“You don’t sound so scared to me,” I say.
“Don’t mistake determination for confidence.” She squeezes my hand tight. “I refuse to cower, but I’m still afraid that I won’t be able to save the people who need it. I’ve escaped before, but not because I was strong enough to overtake an enemy. I escaped because I got lucky.”
“Listen, luck always comes into play, but the reason why you’re still here is because you’re smart. You think on your feet and do the unexpected. That’s why you’ve won. Don’t ever doubt yourself.”
“Thanks,” she whispers, snuggling up against me. “You’ve got me all pumped up right now. Let’s go kick some ass.”
I chuckle. “Easy, killer. I told you, we need to lay low right now. Your favorite concierge is gonna pull a fast one and we need to be here to catch her.”
“I’m getting the first punch,” Lily mumbles. “That pretty jaw of hers is going to be shattered beyond repair.”
“You’ve got a lot of rage in that little body,” I breathe against her ear.
“Rage isn’t the only thing buzzing through me right now.” She flutters her eyelashes.
“You’re making me want to put you over my knee again.”
“I’m trying to get you to put me over your knee again.”
We stare at each other for a few seconds until she lets out a low whistle. “I can’t believe that only twelve hours ago, I was in my apartment studying for an anatomy exam.”
“Well, I gave you a pretty in-depth lesson back at Chloe’s. Must have been helpful,” I say.
Lily rolls her eyes. “Um, yeah, not when the exam is on the anatomy of exotic animals.”
“I’ve been called exotic.”
“Are you sure you’re not confusing that with erotic?”
“That too.” I wink at her.
“Zeno, is my life ever going to be normal?” Her smile fades and her eyes darken. “This whole life I planned for myself, am I ever going to have it? Am I always going to have a target on me because of my family?”
“I know what you want to hear, but that’s not our world, babe. You’ll always be a Salesi, for better or worse. You’ll never be able to separate yourself from your family’s organization. Their sins will always become your sins. You can hide from them, but it won’t be forever. Our enemies are pretty unforgiving. And they’re relentless as hell. They always know exactly how to cause pain and suffering. So, no. The normal you want? It doesn’t exist.”
“Great,” she mutters, twisting her hands together. “And that lack of normal…how do you handle it? Do you even care that you can’t have it? Is it just so ingrained that you don’t even think about how much better things could be if you weren’t always watching your back? Doesn’t it hurt your neck after a while?” A dry chuckle slips from her lips.
“I’ve made some pretty bad choices in my life, Lil. Done things that have caused a lot of problems for my family, all because I’m trying to stay ahead of the enemy. I’ve committed a lot of sins because of that, sins my family has inherited. I’m not the thinker in my crew. I don’t sit around and wait for things to happen. I make them happen. Drives my father and my cousins crazy. But it’s who I am. It’s how I live, and how I survive. So I guess it’s always been the only normal I know.”
“What about the rest of your family? How do they feel about how your actions have impacted them?”
I rub the stress knot tightening on the back of my neck. “My older brother Ciro has his own problems to deal with, so he doesn’t focus much on me. I think he’s a little surprised I’m not dead yet, actually. But Gallo…” My voice trails off and my throat tightens, feeling that familiar surge of anger when I think about the damage I’ve done to him because of my fucking quests for justice.
“Your youngest brother, right?”
“Yeah,” I rasp. “You know, for as different as we are, sometimes I feel like he’s the only one who really gets me. And he’s the only one who is willing to help, no questions asked, even if he thinks I’m off my nut. That night we went after Messina at that underground casino…” I shake my head. “It could have been really bad, Lily. I put him in there.”
“Yes, but you saved him, too.”
“If he hadn’t been there in the first place, he wouldn’t have had to be saved. I don’t think my father has forgiven me for it, either. I can tell it’s always between us, hanging in the air. My recklessness almost killed his youngest son. The baby. The golden boy. The protégé.” I smirk. “I was never that guy. I could never be molded, hard as he tried.”
“I get that about you,” she says.
“I made my bed. But he deserves better than this life. He’s a good kid and he’s just gonna get sucked in like the rest of us if he sticks around with me.” I shrug. “With a permanent crick in his neck. I need to convince him to go back to school or something. He can be anything he wants, if he just gets the hell away from all of this. Dragging him into my world is just fucking selfish and I realized that too late.”
“Where is he now? Sicily?”
“Right about now, he’s on his way here. For the meeting. My father wanted us all to be here.”
“So much for not getting sucked in, huh?”
“Yeah, well, I’m gonna do whatever I can to keep him on the outside. Part of the reason he’s still shielded is that he’s young. He hasn’t been involved in a lot of high-profile stuff, so he’s kind of flying under the radar, you know?”
“You really think the people who have vendettas against your family won’t find him if they know it could hurt you?”
“I sure as hell hope not, Lily.” I lean back on my hands and stare up at the blue sky. “Because if not, it’s on my head for letting him in. I can’t let my normal be his. I’ll fight like hell to keep him away from the flames.”
“Do you believe you can control his fate?”
“Probably about as much as you believe you can escape your fate.”
She turns her troubled gaze up toward me. “There really is no exit strategy for us, is there?”