Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Elio
The call with Ana didn’t help my mood. I wanted to calm her down and work her up at the same time.
She needed protection and it should have been my job to do it.
Granted, she would always have a guard around her at all times, even if it wasn’t the same one.
I wanted her to be safe, but I needed her to need me.
I’d been too busy for him to speak, but his body language screamed a million and one questions. “Go ahead and ask what you will, Joey.”
He huffed out a sigh that was mixed with both anger and fear. I wasn’t the kind of man who allowed anyone to second guess me and we both understood that was what he was about to do. “Why are you doing this? I can pay you back and you know I’m good for it.”
“Why are you looking at a gift with such fear? Your life is spared and you act so upset.”
“She deserves…”
“Better?” I cut him off before he dared say something he’d regret.
“No, I didn’t say that.”
I chuckled because he didn’t have to say it. “No, but you were thinking that.”
“I thought she deserved to make her own choice.”
“She wasn’t going to make a better one. We only get to select what is around us, those we insulate ourselves with. She’s stuck around losers and bad choices. You were planning to bring her into our world. Do you think there’s a better option in our world than myself?”
“I don’t know, but maybe she’d have a choice.”
“Do you think I’d let someone step in my way?” From the moment I learned of her there was no way I’d let anyone steal her from me.
“No.”
“So then why bother causing more death and destruction.” In my head, she was mine and if he had allowed her to date anyone else, I’d have to slit the prick’s throat, and maybe Joey’s for the betrayal.
“Tell me about her,” I commanded, wanting to understand everything about the woman I’d pledged a life to from a brief, deranged moment.
“She’s the perfect, good girl any dad should be proud to have, but my brother fucked up and just ignored her. She’s smart, obviously pretty. She works hard every single day at her two jobs.”
“Two fucking jobs,” I barked out, unable to hold back the instant ire.
Even though I’d already learned about them, it still infuriated me.
If her father wasn’t decomposing somewhere already, he would be.
The bastard let her suffer while he pissed away their lives.
I wished I dug deeper sooner because she’d have been mine.
“Yeah, that’s why I had to step in. It killed her to ask me, but she’d become frightened, and I begged her to run away, but she believed they were following her. That’s when I booked the flight.”
“Well, we’ll get there soon and then we’ll deal with these fucks.”
“We don’t need to deal with them. We can just snag her and be done with it.”
“I just stabbed Frankie for talking about fucking her like a dog. Now, what the hell do you think I’m going to do to someone who threatens my wife.”
“Damn, you are taking this marriage thing seriously.”
I leaned forward, cuffed my fist around his throat and whispered with deadly intent. “Everyone will take my marriage to Ana Maria seriously, understood?”
“Yes, of course,” he choked out. I released my grip and then he dared to sputter out, “As long as she’s cared for.”
“That’s my promise to you and you know I’m a man of my word.” I sat back and waited while we submitted the proper documents to enter the private hangar. Once inside, I warned Joey, “Don’t make me regret letting this slide. I’ll be back with Ana tomorrow at the latest.”
“Is there anything you need me to do?”
“Just go back and make sure there is nothing out of place for my bride. I want her happy and you know what she likes. Please have some nice things provided at my home.”
He nodded. “That can easily be done.”
“Any funds needed, use the master account.”
“Yes, Mr. DeSalvo.”
“Good, now get out of here while I go get my bride.” I considered taking him with me, but I didn’t trust him enough to believe he wouldn’t dissuade her from marrying me. Not that it would work, but I’d hate to tarnish our marriage with his blood on my hands.
As I sat in my luxurious plane, waiting for takeoff, I thought about whether she’d like it. Did she like to fly? I had a lot of questions for her, but they’d have to wait until I’d get to see her lovely face in person.
My phone rang, and it was Mercado. “What do you have for me?”
“There is one main player who has been running two areas, Giacomo Rossi.” My eyes widened, and I wanted to snap some necks.
Most didn’t know that Joey’s last name had been changed when they came over from Italy.
It used to be Rossi, but their parents had debts, so they Americanized their kids’ names.
Joseph and Jack Rose or like I know them to be Giuseppe and Giacomo Rossi.
Her fucking father wasn’t missing. My fists were shaking.
I couldn’t resist picking her up myself.
There was no way that I would allow anyone else to do it, and now I was so damn grateful I did because the lies were fucking enormous.
“Do you have any other names?”
“Yes, his second is not even Italian. He’s a Mexican by the name of Perez.” So he was intentionally keeping ties to the old country out. The fucker was going to pay, but I had to figure out if Joey and my obsession were involved.
The flight dragged on as I considered my options.
One thing was for sure. Regardless of her part, Ana Maria would be my bride.
I chuckled to myself. Even in all his family’s attempts to hide their ethnicity he didn’t bother when it came to his daughter’s name.
When my flight landed, I couldn’t get off the plane fast enough. Marco was waiting for me.
“Elio, is everything all right?” he asked as he held the door open.
“No. She wasn’t looking for a father that is missing. The bastard is playing games. He is the head of the Houston Costa Nostra.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
“Does Joey know?”
“If he does, he’s a dead man. Although as I spent hours thinking about it, the likelihood of him being aware is low. I have his contact information, so I’m going to call him.”
We stayed parked off the side of the tarmac and called Rossi. He picked up on the last ring. “Rossi.”
“Greetings from Chicago. This is Elio DeSalvo.”
“It’s a pleasure to hear from you. Have you offed my brother yet?”
“Why would I do that?”
“For his betrayal. I knew it would come soon.”
“You sound a little enthusiastic about it.”
“Maybe it was about due. He has been a thorn in my side for years.”
“Why didn’t you just do it yourself?”
“Ah. The proverbial debate of killing your own sibling. The whole Cain and Abel. I can’t. It would break my mother’s heart.”
“So your daughter means nothing?”
“Oh Ana Maria can be a problem, but she’s not dead. She’s in her place.” The disgusting way he spoke of her made me sick. He was a dead man just for being a disgusting human being, but then he spoke poorly of my future bride and that was enough for me.
“Is she though?” I ended the call.
I looked at Marco. “That son of a bitch runs the entire area.”
“Wait, she was living in squalor. She was shaking and in tears when we arrived.” It didn’t make sense why he treated her like that or why Joey believed his brother was a damn drug addict.
Were they playing me to get me down here?
No, because they had no idea that I would have been obsessed with Ana.
“Exactly. He’s been keeping her in a state of fear for years.”
“What do we do?”
“We’re getting her out of here before they strike and then I’m going to deliver him a nice wedding present.”
“Good. When do we move her?”
“We’re booked until tomorrow, and if they’ve tracked our movements or hers, then they’ll know that.
We need to sneak her out tonight. I want the plane loaded and ready to leave by morning or so they believe.
” I explained to him in great detail the plan for our exit.
I smiled as I considered the look on her asshole father’s face when it blew up on him. Quite literally.
“Let’s go see my bride.”