Chapter 16
sixteen
. . .
Injury in my life was non-negotiable but the last four weeks felt like I’d died, more from boredom than my wounds.
And getting back into the swing of things, brought a sense of efficacy like no other.
Now that my body was healed, my cock appeased, I was itching to do something besides looking at our financials like my brother wanted me to, I wanted to kill, to maim, to do any fucking thing other than nothing.
Against Lorenzo’s wishes, I climbed into my car for a self-drive back to our country estate, one of many, hoping for some action along the way.
Unfortunately, the ride was quick. No hiccups, disruptions, or delays.
Just the hum of my black Hellcat under me, darkness shading the road, with Tony and Joey eating my dust.
Another the ten minutes and the more fortress than mansion, came into view. Surrounded by a hundred acres of thick, untamed forest, double wrought-iron gates that screamed keep the fuck out and men on patrol, no one would be stupid enough to test it.
Well maybe Korō of course because nobody could determine when or where she’d appear.
I’d never been this entranced by a mystery woman who sashayed into my brother’s place like she owned the damn building, fucked me twice, then walked away the way I usually did to the woman I fucked.
She was fast becoming a spectacular distraction I could do without but the fact that she wanted nothing in return except my cock, made it a worthwhile diversion.
Admittedly, I remained curious about this morning’s conversation, wanting more insight into her and why she believed we could never have anything more, not like I wanted to.
A grin tugging the corner of my lip, I parked the car, stepped out and headed for Lorenzo’s study.
On my way there, my ears pricked at the loud sobbing, followed by bursts of Italian intermingled with bits of English, spiraling out of Lorenzo’s study.
I paused at the open door, catching remnants of the conversation while taking in the scene before me.
Lorenzo stood at his desk with our baby sister, Evelina in his arms, her cheek resting against his chest, her body trembling with loud sobs.
I was seventeen and Lorenzo twenty-three when we found out Mother was pregnant with Evelina and that we also had another half-sister.
Arabella was already ten by that time and living with some distant aunt since birth, to prevent a scandal apparently.
Like that would’ve made any fucking difference to Mother’s nightmarish reign.
Lorenzo, always the aggressive challenger, insisted Mother bring Arabella to live with us and it took less than a month for a bond to develop between the three of us.
Once Evelina arrived, we tried to protect her as much as we could, but life happened and Mother dictated her growth until Lorenzo usurped the queen bitch’s seat.
We brought Evelina to the States on our return.
“What the fuck happened?” I growled.
Mascara smudged eyes found me. “Remo!” She cried harder, peeled out of Lorenzo’s arms and launched herself into mine.
While she rattled off in rapid Italian, my gaze locked with my brother’s over her head. Anger pissed fire through my body. Chaos chomped at the bit for freedom.
Evelina finished with, “quell'uomo mi ha toccato.” That man touched me.
I gripped her arms and held her away from me. “Names?” I gritted.
“Remo–” Lorenzo began.
“Not fucking happening, brother.” I cut him off with a scowl. “Names, Lina?”
At nineteen, she was easy prey on the campus where she studied, as the sister of an infamous don though, not many tried interfering with her, knowing they’d fucking die if they did.
She rattled off three names and I frowned. “Go to your room.” Wiping her eyes, she nodded. I watched her leave then turned to face Lorenzo.
“Keep a lid on it, Remo,” he cautioned, aware I was about to explode.
Teeth clenched, I neared him. “When Arabella died, you tore this city apart looking for the people responsible.”
At eighteen, Arabella suffered shame after she was raped by men she thought were friends. She killed herself four days later. For years my brother hunted the people responsible and only when he got his revenge, was he less haunted by her lifeless face.
“Yes, I did but things have changed.”
“The fuck it is. You might be a don now, you’re still Lina’s brother. La famiglia prima della vita,” I reminded him. Family before life, the quote he promised would remain foremost after Mateo’s death and my nightmares began. “You taught me that, Renz.”
He lifted those ominous eyes to me and walked over to the bar to pour himself a drink. Downing the first one, he raised the empty glass, offering me one. At the shake of my head, he poured himself another, walked back to his chair and took a seat, looking at me.
“I’ll handle it.” His words were quiet yet the white knuckled grip around his glass spoke to his fury, it screamed effortless control.
He had enough to deal with, without this added burden. Not only was he required to run a prosperous empire, he had to maintain a level of authenticity to surpass the underlying illegal operations. On top of that, he had to constantly ensure Evelina and Rayden were safe.
The devil alone knew that if Lorenzo’s anger detonated, the damage would be insurmountable. Only, where I gave no fucks, repercussions be damned, the motto he’d taught me to live by, he had much more to lose, hence the forced restraint.
“Handle it, as in get some cop to lock them up for what? A misdemeanor? They’d be out in a fucking minute.
” I neared his table and planted my palms face down on the rich mahogany.
“We trusted her and she had the audacity to try that shit on Lina. Speaks to her arrogance, brother. Either she doesn’t fear us or someone’s given her ego a boost,” I growled. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Your take care of it sits at the end of a machete, we need a little diplomacy this time around.” Slowly, he sipped his drink. “Besides, you’re still healing.”
While he didn’t have to worry about me, my hot-headedness kept him on his toes. He was my voice of reason, always.
I straightened. “Fuck that, Renz. Don’t use my injuries as a scapegoat to be nice.
Since you took over, our enemies have doubled, three of our trucks have been ambushed in the last two months.
I was almost imprisoned for life. It’s time to send a message, remind them Lorenzo Rossi fears no one.
You’ve got plenty to worry about, let me…
” I trailed off as Rayden walked in. While he knew and accepted Lorenzo’s way of life, we didn’t discuss mafia shit in front of him. “Hey, fuckface, how’s it hanging.”
His usual scowl met my chuckle. “Fuck off.”
Even though I liked the fucker, I couldn’t resist taunting him every opportunity I got and his retaliation made for a weird camaraderie my brother enjoyed. “Aww, baby boy’s having a bad day.”
“Why don’t you go fuck shit up, dickhead,” he grunted.
“Missed me, didn’t you?” I chuckled, earning his glare.
“Glad to see you’re recovered but they should’ve kept you in prison a little longer, maybe made you someone’s bitch, teach you some manners,” he threw back, ignoring my laugh.
Anyone else and they would’ve eaten my bullet in under a second, still I goaded the little shit. “If you weren’t fucking my brother, I’d shove my shoe up your ass, so deep you’d be giving it a blowjob and you’ll fucking enjoy it.”
Rayden’s shoulders stiffened. He stopped walking and turned to face me with a look meant to slice me from head to toe.
Behind him, Lorenzo rolled his lips to keep from laughing out loud.
I knew he was trying hard not to piss off his fuck boy.
Who could blame him when their love survived ten years of grueling shit and the boy had my brother wrapped around every fucking finger let alone his cock.
His steps measured, Rayden approached me. “You know what your problem is–”
“I’m way to sexy for you,” I cut him off, smirking.
Fists clenched, he literally growled at me. My brow shot up, reminding him I was waiting for his answer. “Never mind, you’re such a fucking asshole–”
“Your point.” I cocked my head to one side, wiggling my brows.
Lips pursed, he remained silent for a moment, those green eyes studying me like he was searching for the right words.
Then he smiled, an almost devious one, as if he was privy to some little secret and that caught me off guard.
“One of these days, she’s going to trip you up so badly, you’ll be lapping pussy like a fucking pet poodle. ”
My smug grin fell. “Who?” Brow cocked, he simply turned his back on me and walked off, his mannerisms suggesting he knew something I didn’t.
No idea why that pissed me the fuck off.
“Rayden?” I called out. He ignored me. My gaze drifted to Lorenzo, his blank countenance doing a shitty job this time. That fucker knew something too.
Always the one in control, I chose not to dig further, watching Rayden approach Lorenzo.
“Dario mentioned you’re planning to visit Italy,” he said, reaching him.
I frowned, wondering why this was the first I was hearing about it. “Italy?”
Immediately, Lorenzo’s expression tightened. Downing his drink, he set his glass on the table and stood. “The trail of the ambushed trucks seems to lead back to Italy. I’m not sure where it ends but my gut tells me its D’Angelo.”
“That fat fuck,” I muttered.
“We need to put a lid on it now before it escalates into something we can’t control,” he continued. “And the only way to do that is pull the rug out from the fucker.”
“You’re taking me with you, right?” Rayden stepped closer to Lorenzo, his words firm, knowing my brother would rather die than put him in danger.
Slowly, his clenched jaw gave way to a smile that only Rayden could produce. “I haven’t finalized anything yet since Dario’s still got men working the Italian angle but if I have to go, I can’t take you with me, baby. It’s too–”
“Dangerous?” Rayden scoffed. “I’m not a fucking child, Lorenzo. I can handle myself.”
I grinned, enjoying the way my brother pampered to Rayden’s every fucking whim while still trying to remain a ruthless don.
“Take the fucker with you, brother, show him our real world.” Lorenzo shifted his gaze, the change in his expression warning me to shut the fuck up.
I flipped up my hands, palms outward in apology.
“I’m out anyway, I have shit to take care of,” I walked backward toward the door.
“Remo,” Lorenzo began, visibly torn between stopping me and easing Rayden’s anger.
“Don’t worry, brother, I got this.” I winked and walked away before he could stop me. Outside, I paused on the stone steps leading up to the mansion, raised my face to the sky and took a deep breath.
Someone would die tonight. How, remained to be seen. As that thought crested, I moved toward the parked vehicles.
“Where to, boss?” Gian appeared from behind the car and opened the door for me.
“When did you get here?”
He shrugged. “I never left.”
When he arrived in New York, Dario’s mother made him promise that his younger brother wouldn’t be left alone in city and why he’d moved into Dario’s cottage on the estate.
I studied his way too innocent face for a silent moment, half inclined to tell him he should find another job.
“The chicken broth worked didn’t it, you healed much faster drinking it almost every day,” he said before I could open my mouth.
I dipped my head. As a fucker of note, saying thank you didn’t come easy to me. “Yeah, thanks.”
“Don’t bench me, boss,” his plea pulled my gaze. “I need to learn shit, and I prefer doing it with you.”
I scraped a hand along my jaw. “Fine.”
“Home?” he asked, referring to then city penthouse and I could’ve sworn the fucker was trying hard not to smile.
I nodded. A shower would relax me, because Lord fucking knew, I needed calm before I tortured those fuckers. Otherwise, it would end before it began.