Chapter 9
Damiano
“Mè frati.”
Lorenzo grins, arms wide open as I walk up the sun-drenched marble steps of the mansion to meet him. It’s been two years since we’ve seen each other, and I’m lying if I say I didn’t miss him.
Leave it to my older brother to never hold a grudge, even when I’d sworn to leave the family for good. He is just like our mother, fiercely loyal and too forgiving except when it comes to business, of course.
“Thanks for arranging our arrival,” I say as he squeezes me.
“Unlike you, I actually care about my brother,” he says with a cutting smirk. He pulls back just far enough to lock eyes.
“Where is Papa?” I ask.
“He’s in Naples. Vacationing with the Castigliones. He doesn’t know you’re here yet.” I squirm at the mention of Castigliones—my sworn enemies, whom my father chose over me.
“Why didn’t you tell him?” I say, trying to shift the focus from the irritating politics of it all.
“And be at the receiving end of his anger? No, thank you.”
He’s right. Our father is royally pissed at me for disappearing without a word for two years. I heard he flips at the mere mention of my name.
“Chi cazzu?” Lorenzo says, his smile vanishing instantly as his gaze shoots past me and lands straight on the van behind me. He frowns as Gio and Julian open the door of the van to reveal Katarina’s sleeping figure inside. He walks up to the vehicle and stops in front of it.
“Gio, it’s good to see you.” Lorenzo hugs Gio, his eyes never leaving sleeping beauty.
His professional mask snaps back into place as he turns to me. Alessio, the granite-faced head bodyguard of his, steps forward to give Gio a back-pounding hug.
“Who is that?” Lorenzo asks when everyone’s attention falls back to Katarina.
“The only reason I’m back. She is in my care now,” I say. The gross understatement of the complication and danger she represents is not lost on me.
“You’ve never brought a woman here before. You treat your motorcycles better than women.” He merely scoffs, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “What family does she come from?” He adds, after a beat.
“No family,” I say firmly, trying to dismiss the discussion.
“Then why do you think she can be in here?” He broadens his shoulders and huffs his chest, an old gesture of his that I’m all too familiar with. He does this when he’s preparing for a real argument.
“Because Nicolo Guidicelli targeted her under my nose. For what? I have no idea. But he wants her badly, so I think you’d be interested in keeping her too.” I tell him as I gently lift Katarina into my arms.
Lorenzo’s eyebrows knit together in both confusion and curiosity before he gives a stiff nod, a silent acknowledgment, and starts walking toward the house. We follow in a silent procession, moving into the cool foyer.
“The guest rooms are being renovated. Take her to your suite.” He says, leading us to a grand staircase that leads to the bedrooms.
“I’m surprised you kept my room, brother. I thought you and Papa would have burned it down already.” I tease, the words bouncing off the stone walls and tall ceiling.
“Someone’s got to keep up with the appearance of a united front since your antics nearly caused the other Dons to question our family’s leadership.” He states, voice flat.
I expected as much.
My sudden departure was a massive tear in the family's carefully crafted image of power. It must have been a hell of a conversation when the Dons figured out I left without a word, and it would have been a harder conversation to convince them not to send someone to kill me.
The Five Dons are the ruthless Mafia bosses in Sicily.
My father, Don Massimo Cotrini, is basically their leader.
Although their positions in the hierarchy are technically the same, my father is held in the highest regard because of the Cotrini heritage.
My family has been part of the mafia for over a century.
Any signs of betrayal within the La Famiglia trigger an investigation, and any conflict must be resolved before it becomes an all-out war. I know this by heart because my job used to be to pursue such betrayals and make sure anyone who turned on the Mafia regretted it.
My departure was definitely a betrayal, not only in my father’s eyes but in all of theirs. It would have made him look weak and could have been used to oust him from his high rank. The only reason no one has taken action on my antics till now is that they’re still afraid of my father.
“At least they’ll be happy to know I’m back now.”
“You’re back?” Enzo asks, eyes hopeful.
I know what he means. And no, I don’t mean that kind of back. I’m only here until I make Nicolo pay and I find out why he targeted Katarina. After that, I’ll be out of here and never coming back, and I’m taking Katarina with me.
“For the time being,” I say as we reach my suite. The large, familiar space I grew up in still smells the same. I gently lay Katarina down on the crisp sheets, and Julian quietly settles the IV stand beside her before leaving.
“Isn’t she your girlfriend?” Lorenzo gestures towards Katarina once Julian closes the door behind him.
I don’t respond. I want to tell him yes, but I know that’s not simply true.
“That’s right, she’s the woman I saw you parading in the news. Isn’t she a celebrity?” he asks, tilting his head, scrutinizing her pale features.
Of course, he monitored me from afar.
“That was just for show,” I explain, removing my jacket and walking into my closet to change my shirt. He follows.
“What do you mean by ‘for show’? Isn’t she so famous? Did you kidnap her? What would the whole of Argentina do when they find out she’s missing?” He asks, clearly bewildered.
It’s not like him to pry about my relationships, but Katarina is, after all, the only woman I’ve ever taken home. And I’m sure she will be the last.
“Yes. She’s a celebrity in Argentina. Her brother is big in the security business, too. Was, until Nicolo’s men got to him.”
“Why?” he frowns this time, and I see I’ve finally hooked his curiosity.
“Killed him in the process of trying to kidnap her,” I say as we walk back to the room, and I pull a heavy wool blanket over Katarina.
“Who was he working for?”
“He runs his own security firm, so too many. Including me.”
“Why does Nicolo want the little one?” He asks.
“I’ll find out.”
“Mail-order bride? Or did he get obsessed with her watching her movies?” The Guidicelli family runs prostitution rings, mail-order brides, and all sorts of human trafficking. Everyone in the mafia is a bad person, but people like them are the worst.
“Who knows. He was working with a politician she knew. It was that asshole who sent men to take her. They are expecting her to be part of a shipment for him today.”
“Huh. But something is not adding up.” The Guidicelli family is notorious for kidnapping women and children. But of all the women in the world, why her?
“The moment he learns I took her, it should be interesting, and we’ll find out why he wants her,” I say, and Lorenzo sighs, running a hand over his face.
“Only you will come back with an unconscious woman and a budding war on your shoulders,” he says, starting to leave.
“Don’t worry, I got it under control,” I murmur as I walk him out the door.
“We all know you do, brother. But the aftermath comes with a different story,” he says, his hand on the door frame.
He’s not lying. Starting a feud with Guidicelli now will rattle the La Famiglia, and the Dons like to avoid internal conflict. My relationship with the Castiglione clan is already shaky because of what happened two years ago, and now I’ve found myself in another conflict with a different Don.
“You need to approach this with a different strategy.” He looks at me, then Katarina, before walking away.
I don’t respond.
Strategy means complicating matters for Katarina, even if it lessens the blow to the La Famiglia. The strategy Nicolo is talking about means owning responsibility for her and tying her to me for the rest of her life.
Soon, Gio and Julian come back to the room. I sigh and rub my temples, the stress finally catching up to me.
I turn to them and say, "Get the doctor to check on her. I want the best medical care for her. And Julian," I say, meeting his eyes, "you guard this room at all times."
I turn to the massive, dark wooden door of my bathroom and let the heavy oak click shut behind me. Strategy be damned. I was back in the game, and I had brought the game's ultimate prize with me.
Soon enough, she will wake up, and I need to prepare to tell her about everything.
About me.