Chapter 31
My Heart Cries
There are clouds on the horizon. The sky not as blue as it has been while we drive once more to Renato’s villa.
I hold Leo’s hand while Rudy and Owen sit up front.
Most of the ride has been quiet. Leo’s face solemn and composed.
I bring our hands up, and kiss just above his wedding ring.
The silence almost deafening as the car turns into the villa’s drive.
We pull around like we had before, parking at the entrance.
Leo steps out first, adjusting his black suit jacket nonchalantly.
I step out next, glancing up at what’s supposed to be a sunny day, but the clouds say otherwise.
“You sure about this?” Owen asks low as he steps out. He then flicks his gaze past me to the other car. Doors open and slam as the rest of our bodyguards arrive.
“You ran the numbers with Enigma, anything I should be aware of?” Leo asks, unperturbed.
“No, just…” he sighs, and I look at the far too peaceful villa, “…you’re betting millions here, Leo. Whether he takes the deal or not, you’re also losing millions.”
“I never cared about the money,” Leo replies in a stiff tone. “It was just a thing I needed to curate businesses. Money is what they need. Whatever is lost, can be regained. I won’t lose sleep over it.”
Rudy grunts in agreement.
Leo meets my gaze, and I give him a faint smile. He takes my hand as we start to walk towards Renato’s villa. The Crew follows us, along with the other three bodyguards.
We came with no real invitation. Leo demanded to see Renato, brought up potentially “listening” to his advice which got him to agree. His uncle didn’t agree to extra bodyguards, all armed, including Leo, but his opinions aren’t valued at the moment.
Leo is dressed like he’s attending a business meeting, and so are the others. I wear jeans, a plain dark shirt, and converse. No more pretending to be someone I’m not. And in case shit hits the fan, I’m ready to run.
We walk through the first archway, and that’s when I see them.
Guards. They straighten, but don’t move otherwise as Leo scowls at them.
We continue through the courtyards. One guard does attempt to stop us, but after Ringer makes a growling noise and there’s the click of a gun safety, he stops.
There’s murmuring from the others as Leo and I continue towards a large patio that overlooks the back half of the villa’s groves and gardens.
In the middle of it, sits a table with a couple of chairs.
Coffee already set out. Renato stands beside it, looking out at the grove before turning towards us and frowns.
Leo lets go of my hand, placing it on the small of my back.
I hear our guards and Renato’s spread out, taking covering positions as we stop just before the table and chairs.
“I never took you for one to lie and disregard my advice, Leonardo,” Renato comments, putting his hands in his pockets. “She’s not supposed to be here. Why is she here?”
Leo ignores him, looking down at me. “Do you want a macchiato?”
“Leonardo, you are in my home, you best explain yourself now,” Renato continues.
“No, I’m alright,” I answer.
Leo brings my hand up, briefly kissing it.
“Mi stai ascoltando?” Renato asks.
“Unfortunately, it’s not hard to hear you prattling on,” Leo comments, straightening himself. “She’s here because I want her to be. I never said which advice I would take. I rarely play by anyone’s rules and yours are no exception.”
Renato glares at him. “Cosa vuoi?”
I breathe deep, keeping a calm expression as Leo talks, hand stroking my back.
“Due to the lack of communication over the past year, I’ve decided to cut ties with the Salvadori organization as it’s proven not be a reliable partnership.
This includes all connections and assets begun by you and my father to be dissolved.
All current deals, I am revoking.” Renato’s face starts to turn red as he attempts to keep his composure while Leo talks.
“You have two choices. One is to agree to my terms on how this transpires, and I may even sell you a few of my European based businesses at a low cost. Anything attached to the Luciano or Marchetti name you’ll get nothing of.
The other choice, not agreeing to my terms, I buy you out and resell to the lowest bidder. ”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would.”
“Dangerous games, Leonardo,” Renato curls his lip, straightening himself as he attempts a smirk. “You don’t have the funds to buy out my companies. Or the means to replace their revenue for yourself.”
“He does,” I interject. Renato refuses to look at me, until I say, “The financial status you’ve been made aware of was only the Marchetti organization’s companies connected to the mafia.
You’ve been seeing less than half of what Leo is worth, which is over 500 million outside the Marchetti fortune, and that’s me low-balling due to his real estate investments throughout the year. ”
His small smirk falters as I give him my best customer service smile.
The curled lip quivers as he glares at me with a mix of outrage and disgust. Warning flicks up my spine, instincts telling me to hide as I recognize the threat upon his face.
Leo’s hand caresses me, helping my smile remain intact.
“He built a five-star luxury hotel franchise,” I add. “In a decade with barely anything to his name. I doubt it’ll take him that long again with the partnerships he’s created if he must.”
“Your decision,” Leo says calmly in his business-like tone. “But before the end of the month, all business ties regarding the Salvadori name to the Marchetti and Luciano name will be severed.”
“You are pissing on your family’s legacy.” Leo remains stoic as Renato spits at him. “You can’t.”
“Watch me.”
Renato starts to pace, seemingly trying to calm down as he mutters to himself in Italian.
Suddenly, he turns to the house and his posture relaxes.
He turns back to us with his rage gone from his face, replaced by something sinister.
My stomach twists, warning crawling along my spine as I feel uneasy at his expression.
Deep in my gut, I could feel the pieces moving on the chess board with a deadly scrape.
“Did she prompt this?” He asks, nodding towards me. “To turn on family?”
“No,” Leo answers briskly. “You did.”
“Me? Cosa?”
“Someone told Matteo when I was meeting Renaldi,” Leo answers.
“Then it was him, who Matteo left to work for.”
“Renaldi is cocky and deceptive but keeps his business quiet. He viewed Matteo as a foot solider, nothing more. A position that wouldn’t have earned such information.” Leo’s hand stills against my back. “But a couple of Renaldi’s men aren’t as tight-lipped as you thought.”
Renato remains apathetic, unmoving as Leo holds up his other hand and gestures. Igor approaches with a small bag and dumps the contents onto the table. Ten fingers thud onto the surface, followed by clinking noises from the rings the wearers once had.
“A gift from Vincenzo Renaldi.” Leo’s voice is cold, while Igor steps back again. “A reminder of what happens if you try sending another mole into his organization—that’s all you’ll receive back.”
Renato doesn’t even glance at the fingers, tilting his head and mutters something in Italian I can’t understand. Leo argues back, voice low and foreboding. I glimpse to Owen, who watches Renato closely.
I catch my name being said, Renato flinging his hand in a dismissive gesture. Leo suddenly moves as he positions himself in front of me.
“You knew Matteo would try to kill her,” Leo’s voice is a growl, switching back to English that almost whiplashes me. “Either wanting him to succeed or that I’d kill him for you.”
“Do not blame me for his actions. Blame yourself for his hatred, instead of assuming such things.” Renato spits.
“Then what of Matteo speaking of Fiorella being here?” A shift happens over Renato’s features. “Or is that just an assumption?”
The air feels charged as silence looms. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Leo’s face is barely a mask of chilling severity, edging towards rage. He scowls as heavily as Renato who meets him head on. Time stretches as the wind whistles through the trees.
My chest squeezes as the truth I was horrified to say out loud gnaws at me again. That damning truth is now written upon Renato’s face.
“That boy…always talked too much,” Renato warns, stepping towards us. Leo doesn’t move but does nudge me further behind him. I place my hand at his back, hearing the noise of guns being grabbed.
“Where is she?” Leo asks.
“Fiorella’s dead, my wife—”
“That’s not who I’m speaking of.” There’s a roughness in his voice. Not shaky or trembling, but it’s strained as his hand flexes at his side.
Renato stops in his tracks. His eyes almost disturbing as he remains silent.
“Where is Giovanna Marchetti?” Leo growls.
“She is Salvadori,” Renato snaps back. “Not a Marchetti!”
“Is?”
Renato’s jaw twitches. Finally, he clears his throat before yelling to one of his guards in Italian, “Bring her out.”
The air is thick with tension. Leo’s body tenses as I try to see his face. My hand presses against his back when I hear a noise. I look up to see the woman I met.
Her hair is pulled back into a bun like before, and she’s wearing simple clothing with a cream cardigan.
She’s poised at first walking out of the shadows, but her face falls a little when she sees Leo.
His body becomes more rigid as she walks towards us.
Leo’s hand flexes at his side, balling into a fist as I hear his breathing become shaky.
I’d planned to stay back, let him face her if it was true that she was alive. It was between them. Except, when his hand slightly trembles as I hear his foot scrape back, away from her as she reaches for him, I can’t stop my feet. Quickly, I step between her and him as a shield.