9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
Mariella
“ C an we do it my way this time? It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s clean,” I ask as Tiero, Rom, and I walk down the corridor to the holding cell at Carloso.
Grandfather had this place decked out with everything our family could need when he built it in the fifties, including interrogation cells, which really are more like torture chambers. I hate this part of the house. Thankfully, it’s underground and I don’t have to look at it when I’m here.
We don’t use it much anymore, preferring to take that kind of business to one of our warehouses, but tonight calls for it.
We captured Rizzo, and we need all the information he has.
Tiero glances at me, never breaking his stride. “Your truth serums aren’t reliable. He could still make shit up.”
I groan. He’s right, of course.
When I first came across truth serums, I was fascinated and experimented. Turns out the effectiveness of sodium thiopental and sodium amytal is largely fictional, popularized by media and movies. Sadly, there is no substance that can guarantee someone will tell the truth.
Still, these drugs can induce a relaxed, sedative state, lowering inhibitions and making a person more talkative. For some, that’s enough, yielding the results we want, but with Rizzo? He won’t break that easily.
We stop in front of the door to the basement, and Tiero turns to me, grabbing my shoulders.
“Don’t worry, I’ll make him bleed lots,” he assures me.
What a comfort. No, I’m being serious. It really is.
“I still have a lot of aggression inside me that needs an outlet,” Tiero says.
“I get that, but we could still give my way a try. If it works, we can sit back in the jacuzzi with a whiskey within an hour.”
Tiero just grins.
Yeah, I get it. He’ll feel better once he’s used the guy as a punching bag.
I shake my head, pretending to be exasperated.
“Fine. Have it your way. You’re the boss.”
***
Three hours later, Tiero and I soak our sore muscles in the jacuzzi. Rom departed a while ago, and if I had to guess, he’s already balls-deep in whoever he’s got lined up for tonight.
Tiero got the answers he needed without my help. I should have just left him to it, but it’s always good to have another set of ears there.
I stare at my hands, making sure every last splatter of blood is washed away. The faded scar on top of my left hand mocks me, and I clench my teeth, willing myself to forget how it got there.
Fuck, I’m thirty years old. I should be over this.
I force my gaze away and focus on my brother; he’s lost in his thoughts.
Like so many nights in the past few weeks, I pick up the bottle of whiskey that’s sitting on the table by the hot tub and pour us each a generous amount.
I hand Tiero a glass, and he takes a long sip, sinking deeper into the water as he leans back against the cushioned edge of the jacuzzi and closes his eyes.
“Now that we have the names of the last of the Molinaro supporters, we should be able to quash this ridiculous uprising. Though you have to admire their persistence.”
Tiero huffs. “It’s stupidity. They should have realized long ago they can’t win against us.”
He sounds cocky as hell, but he’s just speaking the truth. We have resources and manpower few possess.
“Rizzo had connections to the Chicago and New York mob. Should we expect retaliation from them?” I wonder out loud.
“He wasn’t that big a fish. Whatever his dealings were with them, they can find another avenue. Better yet, they can come to us. Call Maximo tomorrow and tell him to keep his ears to the ground. He can steer anybody who asks questions our way.”
“Sure, I’ll call him,” I agree.
Maximo is about to step into the role he’s been groomed for his entire life, ready to take over the business from his father.
As hard as it will be to lose Uncle Alfonso, he has been clinging to his power, refusing to let go. But health issues are catching up with him. He’s been ignoring them for years, brushing them off like they’re nothing. He won’t admit his time is almost up.
Just like Tiero, our cousin was raised to be the next Don. He’s eager to take the reins, to leave his own mark on his empire.
Max wants to modernize things, bring in new ideas, but so far Uncle Alfonso’s stubbornness has been in the way. He refuses to embrace the changes, the technology, the advancements that could push the family into the future.
“Max texted earlier. The youngest Molinaro has been seen with his oldest sister in Chicago,” I tell Tiero.
“So that’s where they shipped Marcelo off to. Makes sense. She’s the only family he has left.”
“Sort of. There’s still Sofia,” I reply, taking another sip of whiskey. “Marcelo might become a problem in a few years if he tries to reclaim his father’s empire.”
“Should he ever come back, we’ll put him in the same hole as his brothers.”
Molinaro’s two oldest sons, Giuliano and Michele, didn’t survive their father long. Tiero was determined to eliminate anyone trying to take over, and those two were on top of the list.
“His sister is married to the Romero scum, isn’t she?” Tiero asks, shifting his body so he’s more submerged.
“Yeah. Maximo wants to be rid of them as soon as possible. Once he takes over, he’ll let nothing stand in between him and Chicago.”
I take a slow sip of my whiskey, letting the warmth of the liquor spread through me as I fall silent. For the next few minutes, I savor the steady pressure of the jets as they work their way into the tight muscles in my lower back, loosening the tension.
“So what do you want to do with Sofia? We can’t keep her forever,” I say, sitting up and refilling our glasses.
“Why not? As long as she’s under lock and key, she won’t do any harm.”
“What harm could she possibly do now? There’s nothing left for her.”
“I’ll think about it. For now, she’ll stay here. I’m not ready to forgive her for what she did.”
I don’t respond. There’s no point. Truth be told, I’m surprised Tiero let her live. Had she been a man, it would have been a different story.
I watch my brother closely. His face is tight with tension, the worry lines around his eyes deeper than usual. He stares up at the sky, his expression distant.
“You thinking of Ella?” I ask quietly.
He sighs. It’s a deep, weary sound. “Not a minute goes by when I don’t. She’s always on my mind.”
His gaze doesn’t waver from the sky. “She’s somewhere out there, looking at the stars too. I know it in my heart.”
His voice cracks a little as he turns to me. “How long before I have her back, Teo?”
His words are barely more than a whisper, and I can hear the raw pain underneath.
I’ve never seen him like this before. Ever since Ella disappeared, he barely sleeps. Instead, he’s been throwing himself into hunting down our enemies, using them as an outlet for his frustration and rage.
It’s like the only way he knows how to cope is through violence, trying to channel his pain into something he can control, while, at the same time, minimizing the threats to Ella’s survival.
Now, with hardly anyone left to pursue, that distraction is slipping away. And with nothing to occupy his mind, he’s got even more time to miss her. It’s weighing on him more every day.
I’m worried about him.
“We’ve got a small army out there searching for her, combing every lead, every corner of where she was seen last. Our best hackers are working around the clock, leaving no stone unturned. We’ve spared no resource, no expense. How can there still be nothing but dead ends?” Tiero asks, rubbing his face.
“Sooner or later there will be a clue. She won’t be able to hide forever,” I try to reassure. Let’s hope I’m speaking the truth.
I’m not sure how much longer Tiero can go on like this. She’s the reason he’s breathing and facing each new day. He would move mountains and cross oceans just to be with her.
“What if she really is pregnant?” Tiero voices his biggest fear. Losing her and his baby? It’s unimaginable.
We suspect it’s the reason Ella ran away. She’s always been opposed to the Mafia life. And carrying the heir to our empire? Let’s just say that possibility would have shaken her to the core.
Tiero came clean about what he’d done a few nights after Ella managed to escape. While I don’t agree with his methods, I get why he did it. But still, he really screwed up. He crossed lines he shouldn’t have, and now he’s paying the price.
One thing I know for sure, though, is that Ella loves him.
Even when she was furious with him after he kidnapped her, it was obvious in the way she looked at him, in the way she cared. Despite everything, she’ll forgive him. It’s only a matter of time, and finding her.
“How did you know Ella is your One?” I ask, veering the conversation about her in a different direction.
We spoke minutes after they met and he just said, “I found her .”
I immediately knew who he was talking about.
Her, the elusive One our father always lectured us about. He told us to wait for her , to never settle. And neither of us did, which earned me, in particular, a playboy reputation.
A small smile tugs at Tiero’s lips, and for a moment, I see his eyes light up. That’s the effect Ella has on him, even when she’s the source of his deepest pain. No matter what, she’s always been the one to bring him back from the edge, even if it’s only fleeting.
“After saving my life, we both stumbled, and she landed on top of me,” he chuckles, remembering that moment his world changed forever. “The second our eyes connected, it was as if I was struck by lightning, waking me up from deep slumber.
“Seconds before, I was boiling with rage about Molinaro’s attack, and then nothing but calm.
“It’s hard to describe. I got lost in her eyes. They sucked me in and everything inside me righted itself. It sounds ridiculous, but I came back more complete.
“There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. I just knew she was it.”
I met Ella and her friends the next day. They were on vacation in Sicily. I still marvel at the odds of Ella and Tiero meeting.
One look at my brother with her and it was clear to me too that they were meant to be. She lit him up like nothing I’ve ever seen. He smiled more, laughed more, and seemed altogether lighter.
Problem was, Ella didn’t know that Tiero is one of the most powerful Dons in Italy, and when she found out…
Well, let’s just say, she didn’t react well.
Most women would jump at the opportunity to be on Tiero’s arm. But not Ella. She doesn’t seem to care about wealth, power, and influence.
Tiero’s story mirrors papà’s , who always proudly told us how he met our mother. Their story wasn’t as dramatic as Tiero and Ella’s encounter, but no less impactful. Papà always said he knew the moment he looked into mamma’s eyes.
No wonder he became a completely different man after she died. I can see the same thing happening to Tiero now, but at least for him, there’s still hope. And he’ll never give up on that. He can’t.
“I really thought I would have met her by now,” I admit.
Lately, I’ve been feeling more restless. Beautiful women are always within reach, and I used to revel in the endless variety at my disposal.
I even convinced myself it was a good thing my One hadn’t shown up yet. It gave me plenty of time to sow my wild oats, or however that saying goes. But now, the thrill doesn’t hit like it used to.
It feels like something deep inside me is waking up, like my soul is stirring, having had enough of fleeting encounters and passing pleasure.
I want something real. Something that lasts.
My One.
“You only turned thirty a few months ago. You’ve got time,” Tiero says.
“ Papà met our mother when he was in his mid-twenties.”
“And I had to wait till thirty-two. There’s no set time frame.”
“Clearly.” I let out a frustrated sigh, taking a long sip of my drink.
I think about the one woman who’s supposedly meant for me.
Where is she?
Who is she?
I want to know!
I stare up at the sky just like Tiero. It’s his way of connecting with Ella.
Hundreds of stars glitter above us, though the light glow from Rome dims their brilliance. Back home in Sicily, you can see more of them, but even here, I get lost in the endless expanse stretching out overhead.
A subtle tingling spreads beneath my skin. Anticipation? Restlessness? Maybe both.
It’s like the universe is trying to tell me something, but I just can’t quite hear it. I’m frustrated all over again.
Tiero’s loud groan from beside me draws my attention back to him.
Startled, I watch as he jumps out of the tub and paces back and forth, rubbing his neck. He’s suddenly agitated and on edge.
I sit up, alarmed, quickly setting the tumbler I’m still holding on the table.
“What is it?”