Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
Marchello
If Lissia couldn’t forgive me for not telling her that her father put a hit on me and was responsible for her getting shot, how would she ever forgive me for killing him?
Judging from the look in her eyes, she wouldn’t.
“When did you find out that my father ordered that hit?” She glared at me. “How long have you known?”
“Shortly after you were shot, Lorenzo’s men caught two of the shooters.” I tapped my fingers against the desk. “Milo and I questioned them. They had a phone number to use in an emergency. I called it, and your father answered.”
“So, you knew before I even opened my eyes after being shot?”
“Yes.”
“You knew when I asked you who the shooter was, and you said you didn’t know?”
“Yes.”
“You knew it was my father when you told me you loved me.”
“Fucking yes!” I kicked the desk. “What do you want from me?”
“The truth.” She grasped the chair, standing behind it as if it would keep me away from her. “You owe me that.”
“I owe you?” I shouted. “You fucked up my whole life, and I owe you?”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
I took a deep breath, keeping my distance and trying not to take out my frustration on her over her father showing up here. Her smart mouth was dangerously close to making me fail that mission.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me it was my father? Didn’t you think I should know?”
“Your father came after me and my brother. You got hit in the process. It’s my job to keep you safe. I didn’t tell you because I’m protecting you.”
“From my father?”
“He’s the immediate threat right now. I couldn’t have you running to him to try and make this right.”
“He didn’t mean to shoot me,” she said.
“What?” When I stepped forward, she stepped back. “He did mean to shoot my brother and me. He doesn’t get a pass because he missed.”
“I know.” She held up her hand. “Do you think I’m okay with any of this? This is a lot to process.”
“Then process it, but do not defend him.” I paced in front of the desk. “I could have lost you or Milo in Miami.” The rage twisted in my chest, sucking the breath from my lungs. “Your father has lost his mind. Taking me out is one thing, but doing it with you practically in my arms? Do you know how careless that is?”
“He didn’t pull the trigger.”
“You’re defending him again!” I punched the wall, flattening my hand against it. “What is wrong with you? He sent the people who did.”
“I’m not defending him.”
I didn’t turn around because I couldn’t stare into her eyes now. Not if she was going to choose Gian over me.
“Then explain what it is you are doing, because I’m having a difficult time seeing where you are coming from.”
“I’m saying I wasn’t the intended target, but does that really matter? Should he be trying to kill you in the first place? Don’t I matter in any of this?”
“Not to him,” I said.
“That can’t be true.”
When was she going to see that her father would put his organization before her? Why didn’t she get that by staying with me, she was a traitor in his eyes. She made her choice. She couldn’t regret it now.
“That’s the nature of this business,” I said. “It’s harsh and ugly, but it is what it is. Can you accept that?”
She stood behind me and placed her hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and allowed her touch to radiate through me. My tight muscles retreated as I tried to calm down.
“We can’t live like this,” she whispered. “I don’t want to live like this.”
“It’s a little late in the game for you to decide that.” I turned to face her, my agitation getting the better of me. Her lack of comprehension when it came to her father only made me more furious. “Isn’t it?”
“Marchello, you lied to me.”
“Like you don’t lie to me every time you plot behind my back?”
“That’s different.”
“No!” I wrapped my arm around her waist and slammed her into my chest. “I made a decision not to tell you who your father really is. I shouldn’t have done that, because you deserve to know what kind of person he is.”
I held her small frame against mine. I should protect her from the truth, but where had that gotten me?
“If he had succeeded, my father would have lost two more children in addition to the wife and child he already lost. And you could have suffered far more than a graze to the hip. Why can’t you see who he is?”
She looked down, shaking her head, but I tilted her chin and gazed into her tear-filled eyes.
“I’m not going to let your tears stop me from telling you the truth.” I wiped her cheek with the back of my hand. “You can’t stop this war. It’s too late.”
“That can’t be true.”
“Your father is dishonorable. He won’t listen to your pleas, so don’t beg on my behalf. I don’t know how many more times I can say I don’t want your fucking help.” I held her tighter. “I don’t need it.”
“Then maybe I don’t need you.”
“What? After all you did to…” I released her from my hold and pushed her away to run my hand through my hair. “After everything we both sacrificed, now you don’t know if you want to be with me?”
Now it was me who needed time to process. I put my family situation on hold to keep her away from Collins. Because of her, my father was still out there trying to figure out what happened to the cartel member. He didn’t have the support from me since I was too busy putting out fires because I had chosen her.
Her words cut deep.
“I didn’t mean that.” She pressed her palm to her forehead. “I told you I’m trying to understand this. How would you react if your father ordered a hit on me and shot you?”
“My father would never do that!” I raised my voice. “Because he is nothing like your father.”
“I’m not the only naive one here if you really believe that.”
“Don’t.” I grabbed her arm. “Don’t you dare compare them.”
Gian and my father may have been in the same line of work, but my father followed a code. He was fair and swift with his justice. That was why he was on top. Gian was underhanded and didn’t form loyal bonds. He did what benefited him. He didn’t care who he worked with as long as it was good for him.
“For the record, when my father orders a hit, he doesn’t botch it or go after innocent people.” I squeezed her upper arm. “Do you know why?”
“Let go of me.” She struggled against me. “Stop!”
“Nico Accetti has honor, and when he orders something to be done, it gets done. You should be prepared for that.”
“What does that mean?” More tears streamed down her face. “What are you saying?”
“You’re a smart girl.” I gritted my teeth. “You figure it out. It’s time you learn how this business works. People get hurt. They get killed.”
Milo barged into the room and slammed the door behind him. “That’s enough, Chello.”
“No.” Lissia pushed my chest. “I want to hear what he has to say.”
“Let go of her,” Milo said. “The whole sales floor can hear you. Is that what you intended?”
I released her from my hold and stepped away from them.
“I want to go,” she said. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”
“Fine.” I stormed to the desk and grabbed my keys and phone from the drawer.
“No.” She pointed at me. “I need space from you. I don’t want to be with you.”
How many more times would she punch me in the gut?
“Ricardo can take me back to the penthouse.” She straightened her posture, challenging me with her tone.
“No fucking way.” I shoved my keys in my pocket. “Like I would ever allow that. I’ll tie you to a chair before I let you leave with him.”
“I’ll take her,” Milo said. “A little space is a fantastic idea.”
“Thank you,” Lissia said.
“Ricardo is downstairs.” Milo nodded toward the hall. “Can you wait with him?”
“Sure.” She maneuvered between me and Milo to get to the desk and grab her bag from where she had put it when we first arrived.
I caught her elbow.
She looked over her shoulder and into my eyes. “What?”
“Don’t leave the penthouse,” I warned.
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
“Milo will make sure the guards know not to believe a word you say.”
“That’s great.” She yanked her arm out of my hold.
“If you manipulate Ricardo into allowing you to leave, he won’t live to see tomorrow,” I said. “Keep that in mind before you do anything stupid.”
“Okay then.” Milo ushered Lissia to the door. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.”
Lissia exited the office without saying anything else. That was a first.
Milo leaned against the wall. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Me?” I motioned toward the door. “What about her?”
“You threatened to kill her father.” Milo lowered his voice. “How did you think she was going to react? Did you think she was going to say okay, cool. Can I buy a new dress for the funeral? ”
“Her father tried to kill us, then he had the balls to come into our place of business and demand she leave with him.” I unbuttoned my jacket, removed it, and tossed it on the chair. “And she doesn’t know which one of us is right?”
“Neither of you are right.” Milo shrugged. “If I’m being totally honest.”
“That’s funny coming from you.”
“We do what we have to do. We didn’t make the rules and we sure as fuck can’t change them, but you need to get your shit together.”
“But I chose to be with her.” I loosened my tie, trying to reduce the tension in my body. “That decision might haunt me for the rest of my life.”
“It’s going to be a very short life if we don’t figure out what our next move is and fast.”
“Get Lissia out of here. Make sure she’s secure at the penthouse and that everyone understands she can’t leave.”
“What are you going to do?”
“While I’m giving her the space she requested, I’ll oversee Juan’s next shipment.” My blood vessels constricted with fury over her walking out on me.
“I’ll get back as soon as I can.” Milo opened the door. “We have two huge buyers coming in this afternoon. One of us is going to have to sign off on them.”
“At least the car business isn’t suffering.” I sat behind the desk. “At this rate, Dad isn’t going to have much to come back to.”
“We’re going to be fine,” Milo said. “It’s business as usual with Juan. Once we fulfill our obligation with Lorenzo, things should settle down.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m always right.” He smirked. “That’s why you keep me around.”
As Milo left to handle Lissia, I leaned back in my chair and stared up at the ceiling. There had to be a way out of this. There was always a way out. It might not be the fastest path or the one that made the most sense, but there had to be an answer to this problem.
Complications arose in any business, and Lissia happened to be my biggest hurdle right now. Dread filled my soul because I knew what direction we were headed in. I had a job to do. A family to protect.
The hardest part of all of this? After doing that job, I would have to stare into her eyes with the knowledge that I had betrayed her in the worst possible way.
The burner phone rang, as if on cue. I cleared my throat and answered it.
“Hello,” I said.
“Marchello,” my father responded. “Do you know how relieved I am to hear your voice?”
“I know.”
I hadn’t heard from him since before the shooting. Lucas had tried to get word to him, and he must have succeeded.
“What the fuck happened in Florida?” he asked.
“Gian ambushed us.”
“Is it true his daughter was hit?”
“She was grazed.” I squeezed the phone, holding back my anger. “She’s fine.”
She was fine until her father showed up and caused all sorts of havoc.
“Physically maybe, but not emotionally,” my dad said. “Being stuck between two families who are at war is going to take a toll on her. It could have been much worse.”
“I realize that.”
“Gian is a threat none of us need,” he said. “I had hoped you could keep him at bay until I came back, but that clearly isn’t a possibility. I can’t risk him taking another shot at you or your brother.”
“He came to the dealership today.” I stood and gazed out the window. “Demanding to see Lissia.”
“He’s impulsive and doesn’t think anything through. He never has.”
Now I know where his daughter gets it.
“He acts in the moment and does what he thinks will be the most beneficial for him,” my father said. “That’s why he wanted that alliance with Collins. He was willing to sacrifice his daughter to a madman to gain control of the city.”
“He’s getting aggressive. The other families are going to see our lack of retaliation as a weakness, especially with you gone.”
“We’re not weak.” He raised his voice. “You’re not weak. If any of the other families see us that way, then they don’t deserve our loyalty.”
“The hit was so messed up. It wasn’t even professional.”
He sighed. “Gian attempted to kill both of my sons in one reckless move. I don’t care how botched it was, he has to pay for that.”
“The arms dealer is still on the run.” No one had seen Danny. He disappeared after the shooting. “He still poses a threat.”
“We’ll deal with him later,” my father said. “One thing at a time. We must have order and concentration. I’m sorry you have to do this in my absence, but this war has to end before my children are killed.”
I had been waiting for this call. What came next was inevitable.
“Tell me what you want me to do.” As if him saying the words would somehow make all of this any easier.
“Take Gian out,” he said. “Are we clear?”