Chapter 2
SIMEON
“She’s leaving.”
Jack states the fucking obvious as we watch the bus pull out of the convent gates and onto the road leading to town.
“Any other cars?”
I enquire, and he shakes his head.
“Not so far.”
I nod with satisfaction because I’m not the only man interested in her: Alice Zaferelli, novice nun inside the Order of the Holy Mother of God and outside billionaire heiress.
Under the terms and conditions of her father’s last will and testament, she must marry and be pregnant before her younger sister turns twenty-five.
It’s just a shame for the lady in question that man will be me.
The car remains at a discreet distance, and as we journey into town, my man is standing by in the airport cab, ready to whisk her away to the flight she is booked on — the seat next to mine, actually.
We were never going to take the risk that she would make it there by her own devices; her sister was in danger the minute she stepped into the cab taking her to the airport, and we will not make the same mistake.
If anything, I’m pissed to be here at all.
The last thing I wanted was to be married to a stranger for money we don’t need.
However, my father is a dominant presence and runs the Ravera mafia with a blade of steel.
Go against him, and you go against the family, and so, along with my two single brothers, we get to marry the billions the diamond dynasty will deliver.
Enrico Zaferelli was the diamond king. He owned many diamond mines and invested in cryptocurrency, and rose to become the richest man in the entire world.
Then he died, leaving his fortune to three women. One of whom is on the bus in front, and my job is to keep her safe, secure her, marry her, and plant my seed in her belly before the sand runs to the bottom of the timer.
To say I’m pissed about that is an understatement.
I vowed never to marry, not intentionally anyway.
It’s easier to fuck women and then leave them without the emotional baggage they bring.
The last thing I want is to be responsible for one.
She’s probably walking with a stick up her ass, and her pious attitude is sure to grate on my nerves.
I hate my fucking life right now because a virgin nun was never on my wish list.
Jack remarks in his dull whisper, “Rico is in place by the convenience store in the cab rank. Three down. Charlie’s in the one in front and Frank’s in the one behind.”
“Good. What about the other three cars?”
“Parked and staking out the town as requested. If any stranger is spotted, they will be dealt with accordingly.”
I should be reassured, but something is eating away at me.
Call it a premonition because if this passes without a hitch, I’m not Simeon Ravera, the feared underboss of the most cutthroat family in New York.
I’m the enforcer—the bastard who runs the grassroots of the business.
The belligerent motherfucker who kills for pleasure and tortures for entertainment.
Drugs, prostitution, and gambling are right where I’m at home, and I survey it all from my industrial warehouse buried deep in the heart of Queens.
Hardly the mansion or penthouses my brothers occupy. I like to be in the dirt with the lowlifes I control, and frankly, I’m more at home there than anywhere else. Alice will soon call that home, for one year anyway, because she is not leaving my sight until the money is ours.
“They’ve stopped.”
Jack informs me, and as we pull into a parking space at a discreet distance, I note my guards at various positions, watching out for danger, watching over her.
I note with interest the group of nuns alighting from the bus, their heads covered and their garments sweeping the dust off the streets.
“Where is she?” I peer a little closer, hating that I can’t identify her, and Jack sighs irritably, “The fuck I know.”
The nuns split into groups of two or three, and I sigh with exasperation. “This is absurd.”
“It’s fine, we have enough guards to monitor them, and our target will head to the cab rank, anyway.”
I note the three cars waiting patiently, and as the nuns approach, I search for the woman who is destined to be in one of them.
As they pass by the cabs, that prickle of alarm sears my blood because I knew it. Something is off about this.
“Are you sure she’s on board?”
My tone is dark, impatient, and pissed as fuck.
“Sister Agatha Maria informed your mother about the new itinerary. We have no reason to doubt the word of a woman of God.”
He actually crosses his chest, and I roll my eyes. “It’s a bit late for religion, Jack. If you’re hoping for forgiveness for your sins, I’d say you are on a losing streak with that.”
“I’m a Catholic boy born and raised.”
“Aren’t we all?”
I murmur as my attention falls on three women entering the store.
“I could use a bottle of water. The journey is a dusty one.”
Jack nods as we exit the car and head for the store, happy that the other nuns are being followed by my men. Something tells me my future wife is in that group because it’s the only one with three nuns. The other groups were of two, and as I counted nine, I’m guessing this one conceals our target.
We head inside the grocery store, and I attempt to remain inconspicuous, even though I stick out like a matador’s cloak in a bullring.
I’m dressed for menace, I always am, always in black with dark shades covering my eyes, effectively disguising where my attention lies.
Jack is no different, and as we split up and move through the store, I catch sight of the unmistakable swish of a long robe.
My pace quickens as I note one of the nuns breaks ranks with the others and heads to the restroom at the back of the store.
Jack notices too and follows the other two while I head to the restroom, wondering if there’s a way out the back. The nun disappears into the ladies’ one, and I hover outside, checking for exits. A cursory glance at the men's tells me there are no windows inside.
My heart is beating rapidly because I hate not being in control. If the nun in the restroom is the one I’m searching for, it will be easy to intercept her when she exits and escort her to New York, personally.
I’m satisfied that my men will be doing their jobs, and so I lean against the wall and wait for the cuckoo to fly the nest.