11. Elio
CHAPTER 11
ELIO
Amara’s panicked scream jolted me out of sleep. After quickly scanning the room for danger and finding none, I closed my hand over her mouth. “Shhh, it’s okay. You’re okay. I’m right here.”
Her whimper snuck through my fingers.
I pulled her close, letting her burrow against my chest. “It’s just us.”
My omega locking her arms around me, using me for safety, had all my alpha instincts preening. I’d never been a source of comfort for anyone before her, and I liked it far more than I’d expected.
My chest had a tickle deep inside, a crackly and broken purr working its way into existence. I’d never purred for anyone before, but fuck if I didn’t want to for her right now. I stroked her hair, slowly willing my purr to life even if it sounded like shit.
Her own purr rumbled, as if it wanted to teach mine how to work. I was always too fucking tense to purr, but I craved it now, knew it would help my omega feel safer. God knew she wouldn’t find any other place for that in here.
Amara tipped her head to nuzzle her nose against the underside of my chin. “I’m okay. Just a nightmare.”
“About what?”
“Enzo and Bianca.” She sniffled. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to survive here.”
“The same way we all do. We’ll get you out of the compound as much as we can. What do you want to do for work?”
“Fuck, I haven’t contacted my job. I was supposed to start back yesterday.”
“You had two hospital visits. I’m sure they’ll be accommodating.”
“My boss is an asshole. He’s been looking for an excuse to get rid of me. I bet if I check my email, termination papers will already be sitting there.”
“Want me to shoot him?”
She burst into a delighted cackle, covering her face with her hands to muffle it. “Oh my god, you can’t say things like that.”
“Why not? It’s a legitimate offer.”
“As much as he would deserve it, it’s not a place I’m sad to leave.”
“If you’re not going back there, I think we should get you set up to work at Gianna’s restaurant.”
“Do they need an accountant?”
“They do since Bianca wants to turn it into a money-laundering front. It’ll get you out of the compound regularly, and having Gianna as an ally can only be a benefit.”
Amara curled her fingers around the back of my head and drew me in for a kiss. “If you think it’s a good idea, I’ll do it. Not thrilled about the potential for jail time, but I do know how to cook the books.”
“Good. I want you to keep making money, put it all away in case you ever need to escape.”
"In case we ever need to escape.”
The only way I was getting out of here was in a coffin or if Bianca was dead. I trailed my hand down to brush the backs of my knuckles over her still-flat stomach. “If you need to, you get out. Don’t you dare wait for me. If it comes down to it, I’ll give you what time I can to make it out, but I have never expected to leave Gallo service alive.”
Amara growled and sank her teeth into my shoulder. “Fuck you if you think I’m going to leave you here to die if I have to flee. The mark you put on my throat means you’re stuck with me forever.”
“I need to know that our kids are always going to be a priority above me. The second you became mine, I knew my life would be forfeit for yours if it came down to it. The same applies to the little one inside you and any that come after. Let me protect all of you.”
She bit me again. “Shut up. This is all very sweet, but I fucking refuse to think about a future that doesn’t contain you, so I need you to shut your beautiful face right this second.”
I chuckled and gathered her even closer, my purr finally flowing smoothly from me.
A noise from the closet had both of us turning, my purr stuttering and dying. Enzo emerged, looking barely rested. “The omega needs to shower your scent off before we go to breakfast.”
Amara glared at him as she retreated off the bed and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
“I gather I’m not her favorite person?” Enzo asked with an amused smirk on his lips.
“You’re not. You’re pretty close to the top of my list, though, if this gets Bianca’s attention away from her. Why are you so willing to help us?”
“Because I have my own omega arriving soon and I need to know she’s going to have allies here.”
“You’re worried about an omega Bianca’s assigning to you?”
“She just thinks it’s assigned. I’ve been watching this one for months while I kept track of the Cafaro uprising. It was pretty easy to convince Bianca we should bring her to the compound once everything is said and done. We just have to deal with her upstart of a brother, and the Cafaro clan will come to heel with her as the new heir under us.”
“Diabolical.”
Enzo grinned. “If you don’t plan ahead in this place, you never get anything.”
Amara emerged a few minutes later, damp but clean.
“Put on your clothes from yesterday,” Enzo ordered. Once Amara had complied, Enzo dragged her into his arms, making sure to get his scent all over her. “Quit growling at me, Elio.”
I fell silent, not even realizing I had been.
“She has to smell like me or Bianca’s going to know nothing happened. If my scent isn’t fresh, she’s going to know something is up. Don’t touch her until after breakfast.”
With a lump in my throat, I went back to my own room through the closet and exited the door into the hall. Enzo emerged a few moments after me, dragging Amara along with him, his fingers digging into her arm while she squirmed and yelped. It took all of my self-control not to turn around and tell him to fuck off. We needed to keep up the pretense.
Bianca looked absolutely delighted when the three of us came into her suite. Gianna, Marco, and Santo were already seated. Enzo shoved Amara toward one of the chairs and she nearly tripped, catching herself on the back of it, leveling a glare at him that could melt steel.
“Did you have a good night, precious?” Bianca asked.
Amara’s growl was her only answer as she wrenched the chair out and sat down hard.
“Santo, darling, you haven’t met Elio’s new toy, Amara Pesci. Enzo got to play with her last night. How was she?”
Enzo shrugged as he sat between Amara and Bianca. “Bit of a dead fish honestly. Almost immediate shutdown.”
“Disappointing,” said Bianca.
“I’ll skip my turn,” said Marco. “Enzo’s sloppy seconds and her fucking with all the pizzazz of a blowup doll doesn’t really enthuse me.”
The words pissed me off, but the intention of them was a relief.
“Santo, did you want a turn?” Bianca asked.
He chuckled. “They made it sound so appetizing. If Elio wants to play with a corpse, that’s his business. I prefer a firecracker in my bed.”
The rest of breakfast was agony, but at least Amara was no longer the novelty of the day. As soon as he finished eating, Enzo departed with his team to crush the Cafaro uprising. I sent Amara with Gianna to the restaurant and went on my own mission to get Amara’s father on board to run drugs through Rossi territory for us.
“What the fuck do you want?” he asked when he opened his door and saw my face.
“I want you to work for us.”
“Fuck off.”
“If you give half a shit about your daughter, you’ll reconsider that answer.”
“I can’t work for you. I have too many connections over here.”
“And you’ll keep them.” I pushed my way into his apartment and sat down on his couch, waiting for him to begrudgingly join me. “You’ll get a second apartment in Gallo territory, where you will move to, but maintain this residence. You continue running for your current employer, but you’re going to start transitioning our product on the Rossi side of the river.”
“And if I don’t?”
“I don’t think you’re going to like the answer to that. Your daughter is in the heart of enemy territory, as close to the queen as anyone can hope to get. If Bianca finds out you’re refusing to help us, it’s going to come out of Amara’s hide, not yours.” I let out a laugh. “Actually, that’s a lie. Anything Bianca takes out of Amara, I will take out of you twice over. You just need to ask yourself if you’re more scared of your employer or of me, because I have a lot more motivation to make you hurt.”
“You’re a bastard, you know that?”
“I’ve been told. Now tell me where your loyalties lie. I need to know how many bullets to put in you before I leave.”
He growled, but my hand was already on my weapon. “Fucking fine. I can’t afford two apartments, though.”
“We’ll take care of it. Pack up your shit.” I set a business card on his coffee table. “Call me when you’re ready. And just so we’re clear, you belong to me now, and how long you live will be directly proportional to how much your daughter likes you. I might think about sending her some flowers or something if I were you.”
“Fuck you.”
I laughed again. “That’s her job now.” I flipped him the bird as I walked out of his apartment and back to my car.
Drug dealers were always strangely entertaining to play with. They liked to act like they were the top rung on the ladder, but they capitulated the second someone bigger came along. Anthony Pesci was no different. A posturing bully and a coward. They would all bend the knee with the right motivation.
That was something too many people forgot. We all had a price and we all had a breaking point. Some liked to think they were beyond that, and then people like me came along to show them exactly how wrong they were.
With Amara installed at the restaurant to help with the money laundering and her father under my thumb to get us into Rossi territory, my omega was suddenly a lot more useful to the Gallo Empire. Hopefully that would protect her further.
My phone rang with an unknown number. I answered it. “Angelo.”
“Elio, it’s Anita.”
“Hey. All settled?”
“Unfortunately. The Hebrides are boring as fuck. I’m not an island girl.”
I chuckled. “Boring means safe.”
“So you’re going to be joining me here, then?”
“Keep a spare bed available for me,” I said as I slipped into my vehicle.
“Wait, are you serious?”
“We’ll see how things shake out, but yes.”
I had no fucking clue what I would do with a life on some tiny Scottish island, except that I knew if I did make it there, Amara would be safe, and whatever kids we had by the time we got out would be safe too. It was a fantasy. I knew that. But if I could plan ahead for at least Amara to get out when the war came…if it turned for the worst, that gave me a bit of comfort.
“Did you find her?” Anita asked.
“I did. She’s at the compound with me now.”
“Poor little bitch.”
Her words caught me off guard and I started to laugh. “Look at you making me miss you already.”
“I’m offended you didn’t miss me the second you were out of my presence.”
“I had a lot of shit going on. No time to miss anyone.”
“Except your omega,” Anita corrected.
“That’s different.”
“I suppose so. Come for a visit sometime. I’d like to meet her. I would come to you, but you’ve already forbidden us from going.”
“Wait until the war is over and see if I’m still alive before you plan the trip.”
Anita tutted. “I’d say you’re cynical, but the Angelo men haven’t had good luck getting to old age.”
“Exactly. I would hate to break family tradition.”
“Don’t even fucking joke. We’d be dead if not for you, and you are not allowed to say things like that. I want you to break the mold. Live until you’re bald and wrinkled and have a million grandchildren tripping over your ankles.”
“It’s a nice thought.” And it was, one that I wanted but knew I would never see. “We both understand the reality of this life better than most.”
“Well, I’ll keep a room open for you if you ever decide you’re ready to get out from under the thumb of that cunt.”
“I appreciate it. Stay safe.”
“You too, jackass.”