Chapter 23
Going to Italy
Claude
I look Fredrico Gallo Sr. in the eyes as a storm rages within me. My niece was in a shootout and took a bullet for one of these motherfuckers. This is exactly what I was afraid of.
“I’m sending her back home,” I say tightly.
“That wouldn’t be wise,” Emilio says as he appears out of nowhere. “This problem is coming from New York. Oni is in more danger there than here with us. Once they figure out what she means to Rico, this will be a problem.”
I spin on him and glare. While I’m grateful to him and his men for getting Oni to the hospital safely, I know this man. This only happened because he allowed it. It’s one of the reasons I hate fucking with him.
This wouldn’t be the first time he could have prevented something concerning my family. He’s lucky I haven’t taken his head off. I’m close—the consequences be damned. I clench my fists as his words sink in.
“I’m not leaving her with you motherfuckers. You all have targets on your backs. She’s not safe here.”
“No, she’s not. That’s why she’s going to Italy with my daughter,” Emilio replies.
“What?” Fredrico and I say in unison.
“She will be going with Emilia to Italy. You did say she has a talent for the arts, didn’t you? This is an opportunity for her. She will be raised as a Gallo from here on out.”
“You motherfucker,” I snarl as I lunge at him. However, Fredrico holds me back. “You planned all of this. We all just played into your hands like my brother did, you piece of shit.”
Emilio fixes his cuffs as if I’m no threat, while his brother holds me off. I shove Fredrico and take a step back. I should have known. I should have seen this coming.
“You knew all about her, didn’t you?”
“Honestly, not at first. I had washed my hands. Your brother got the girl. He started the family they wanted.
“I never thought I’d hear anything else about a Raven after your brother’s death. I knew you were here, but you had walked away from ties to us. You’ve been no trouble to me, so I hadn’t planned on being any trouble to you,” Emilio says with a shrug.
“You’re an asshole. You could have gotten him out of that mess. You let him die in that jail because you couldn’t have what you wanted. Now you’re fucking with his baby girl. Why?”
“I’m not the villain here. Believe it or not, I did all I could to get him out of there. I wanted to help Brenda the moment I found out what happened.
“She didn’t want my help and wouldn’t talk to me. I’m not helping Oni because of your sister-in-law. I’m setting my nephew on the right course before it all blows up in his face,” Emilio growls back at me.
“What do you mean, Emilio?” Fredrico hisses.
Emilio rolls his eyes. “She is a sixteen-year-old girl. He is nineteen and being groomed to be Don. This is not the time for this distraction. She’s going to Italy.”
“He will follow,” Fredrick growls.
“Not if he thinks she didn’t make it.”
“What?” Fredrico stumbles back. “You mean to destroy him. I will not allow this.”
They begin to argue in Italian as I stand fuming. This motherfucker has lost his fucking mind. He thinks he’s going to bark orders and we’re all going to bow. Fuck that.
“The boy loves her. You’re going to cause him to snap. I’m not lying to my son for you.”
“Then you will go to Italy with her if I can’t trust you to stay here and keep your mouth shut. You go home and run the business there. Those are your only options,” Emilio bites out with finality.
Fredrico gives him an icy-cold glare. “You ruin everything you touch. Neither of them will forgive you. She’s in love with him too. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. This is why I have made this decision.”
“You fucking moron. Even if I went along with this, how will you keep her from running to him?”
“Watch how you talk to me, brother. You are more of a problem at the moment than I care to consider. Don’t make me take how much into consideration.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m warning you. It would be easier to make you disappear for good than to have to explain to my nephew why you won’t be in contact with him until I bring the girl back,” Emilio bites out.
Fredrico paces away as he grumbles to himself. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around all of this. I don’t want to send my niece back into danger, but can I really trust Emilio to keep her safe?
“My brother has told me that Brenda wants Oni to go away to school. My daughter attends an art academy in Italy. I have had plans for her to work for our art dealership when she comes of age until she marries.
“Since it was Emilia’s life Oni saved when she took that bullet, I would like to offer her this opportunity. I am not trying to reenter Brenda’s life or manipulate Oni into anything. She needs to be safe, and my nephew needs to be focused.
“I will deal with the fallout when the time comes. This is the best option. I will cover all the expenses. Oni won’t ever have to steal another thing in her life.
“For saving my daughter’s life, she will be treated like a Gallo princess. Your niece is smart. I will be the one to talk to her and offer her this option.
“She will take it, and she won’t contact Rico until I allow it. Mark my words,” Emilio says.
“You will not talk to her alone.” Fredrico seethes.
“As you wish.”
I pull a hand down my face. “Un-fucking-believable,” I breathe. “If something else happens to her, I’m going to take your fucking head off.”
“This was never on my or anyone else in my family’s hands, so take your threats and drop them at Sullivan’s door where they belong,” Emilio snaps.
I rock back on my heels. So that’s the real problem. Emilio may have gotten over Jack and Brenda, but he never got over Jack and Finn Sullivan. What does that have to do with Oni?
Oni
Pure fire is running through my shoulder. Slowly, I open my eyes and look around to figure out where I am. I blink a few times.
I’m in a dimly lit room. As I focus, a beeping sound catches my ear. I turn my head and realize I’m in a hospital room.
Swallowing hard, I try to remember what happened. Emilia … she got out of the truck. I groan and lift a hand to my head.
“Shit,” I murmur.
My mouth feels so dry. How long have I been here? Is everyone else safe?
Rico was still unconscious when I got out of the back seat of the car to get to Emilia. I saw the moment one of the guys locked his focus on her and aimed. I’ve never been more fearful in my life.
I took him out as I raced for her, but I don’t remember anything after that. My head is pounding as much as my shoulder is burning. My mom is going to kill me.
I’m in way over my head now. Uncle Claude is going to strangle me. Maybe Rico is right, it’s time for me to go back home.
As soon as I have that thought, panic races through me. New York doesn’t feel like home anymore. It feels more like a ticking time bomb waiting to go off the moment I return.
I try to think of why I have that feeling so strongly. I can’t put my finger on the answer, but I know my feelings are valid. Trying harder, I push to grab onto the nagging thoughts hiding in the back of my mind.
“You’re awake.”
I look to the door to find Fredrico Sr. and Uncle Emilio standing in the doorway. It was Emilio who spoke. He is also the first to enter.
Fredrico comes and places a kiss on my cheek as he reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze. I look into his eyes and note a sadness that’s not normally there. My heart begins to race.
Did something happen to Rico? Is Emilia okay? Did something happen to one of the other guys?
I have so many questions running through my head. The machine starts beeping like crazy. Fredrico gives my hand another squeeze. Just then, Uncle Claude comes into the room.
“Relax, Oni. We just need to speak with you,” Fredrico says.
“How are you feeling, cub?” Uncle Claude asks, also looking sad.
“I’m fine. I’d be better if you guys didn’t come in here looking like someone died. What’s going on?”
Emilio clears his throat, drawing my attention. I look to him as he sits calmly in the chair in the corner of the room.
“First, I want to thank you for what you did for my daughter. I wasn’t expecting that. It’s hard to catch me by surprise, but you have continued to do so since you arrived.”
I go to fold my arms under my breasts, but the movement causes my shoulder to burn with a new ferocity. I wince and move the arm connected to the burning shoulder back to my side. However, I don’t take my glare off Emilio.
“Emilia is my friend. I wasn’t going to allow her to be hurt or worse. I did what needed to be done.”
Emilio nods. “You have a lot of heart. My brother and Rico are right, you’re very smart. Smart enough to make more of your life than stealing cars.”
“You mean smart enough to stay away from your nephew before you have me killed or some shit,” I bite out.
Emilio chuckles as he tilts his head and stares at me. “You have misunderstood me. I believe Rico has too. My intentions have always been to see how you both would handle pressure. Whether either of you was ready for what this world would bring your way.
“I knew my nephew was in love with you from the time you stepped into Fredrico’s sitting room. Rico was trying too hard to make it seem as if you meant nothing. When I told him you could never be more than a bed toy, he almost lost it.”
“You said what?” Uncle Claude growls.
Emilio waves him off. “I told him Oni was just a piece of ass. Nothing could ever come of him and some black girl,” he says the words so nonchalantly and shrugs.
“Asshole,” I say under my breath.
Fredrico has to restrain my uncle as he tries to lunge at Emilio. A part of me hopes Uncle Claude will knock Fredrico over to get to this asshole. The other part of me notices the bruise on Fredrico’s face and bandage on his head and hopes he doesn’t get hurt.
Unlike his brother, I like the old man. He has been nothing but nice to me. I sag in relief as my uncle regains control and begins to pace and mumble to himself.
“Can you get to your point?” I say dryly.
“You have become my nephew’s one and only weakness. I know Rico. There is no getting rid of you. Only in death will he leave you alone—”
“So you do plan to kill me.”
“If you would stop cutting me off, I could explain to you what my intentions are,” he says in frustration.
“Okay, fine. Speak.”
“Neither of youse are ready. Rico needs more time to rise into his role. You need to learn not to end up like this.” He points to me in the bed.
“You are sixteen. There’s plenty of time to get involved with Rico and become the woman he needs by his side. However, now isn’t the time. You will both be dead within a year at this rate.
“Your own friends will be your undoing. I need you to take a step back from Rico because he doesn’t know how to do it on his own. If you do as I say, you will want for nothing and when the time is right, you will be right back in his arms,” Emilio says.
“Why should I trust you? How do I know you’re not trying to get rid of me so you can marry Rico off to Juliana?”
“Juliana Abato isn’t good enough for my nephew. She and her father are going to die like the filthy pigs they are. You can trust me because I’m sending you to my home with my brother and daughter.”
I look to Fredrico curiously. He gives me a weak smile. I lick my dry lips and try to figure out what’s not being said. I know better than to believe Emilio is doing this out of the kindness of his heart.
“What do you want in return?”
“The only thing I ask is that you don’t contact Rico until I tell you it’s allowed. That means absolutely no contact, Oni. None.”
“What? What if he reaches out to me? Am I just supposed to ignore him and act like he doesn’t exist?”
“Exactly. You can do things my way and give your mother a daughter to be proud of, or break my trust and lose it all—including my nephew and the security of my family. Trust me, you won’t survive more than a month.
“Your mother and uncle will be left to bury you—or worse. You’re going to drag them into your mess. Think about this carefully, Oni,” he replies.
I think of my mom. All she wants is for me to be safe. I can’t go back to her like this. It will break her heart.
I gasp. “Wait. He will only let go of me in death. You plan to tell him I died,” I say. It’s not a question; I know it’s the truth.
I give this deeper thought. Could this be what’s best? I don’t want to be a distraction to Rico, and I don’t want to be the cause of my uncle or mom getting hurt.
It would be selfish of me not to take this offer. I chew on my lip as I try to see how this could go south. The worse that could happen would be losing my mom or Uncle Claude. Rico might be angry, but that’s a chance I’m willing to take for the safety of my family.
My heart aches just thinking about it. I love Rico, but look what’s been happening to me since we’ve been together.
“Okay,” I whisper.