The Vincintis #12

Prologue

Finding Willow...In Italy

Calderone knew about the safe room in the house and he could only hope Jordy had shown it to Willow before they got invaded. Scanning the room, he moved to the ensuite bathroom and saw it was empty but he hoped Jordy and Willow were in the safe room.

Stepping over to the linen closet, he swung the shelves out by the hidden hinges and faced the door behind them.

He hit the keypad with the code and waited for the door to swing open.

His heart pounded in his chest as he breathed her name out in a reverent whisper, “Willow,” as the door opened.

He then was face to face with a heavy breathing Jordy, holding his weapon head high.

Willow’s voice then sobbed of relief. “Calderone.”

Jordy slowly lowered his gun. Stepping aside, he stumbled and dropped to his knees.

Calderone paused, then looked at him closely.

Jordy’s face looked bruised and bloody. He also had a wound on his chest as blood seeped through his shirt, staining his clothing as it was spreading.

Calderone knelt and held the other man up. “What the hell happened here?” he snarled. “Are you guys all right?” He looked up at Willow.

While holding her arms awkwardly, a bruise marred her cheek.

He held out his arms to her.

Stepping forward with her body trembling, she almost collapsed into him.

He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her close to him. “I am so sorry, my love,” he whispered to her.

“We were ambushed,” Jordy told him as he winced.

“Someone leaked our position and that bastard in the kitchen got inside. I moved Willow to the safe room then went back to find him. We fought in the kitchen. He got lucky with that knife. But I had better luck as I walked away and he hit the floor dead.”

“How long ago did this happen?” Calderone snarled.

“About six hours,” Willow answered this. “I tried to take care of Jordy’s wounds but every time he moved, the cut broke open again.”

“We need to get him to a doctor.” Calderone worried about his guard.

“I’ll live.” Jordy nodded. “But boss, I’ve been hearing things from my contacts. Something about Fredo Grimaldi taking down the Don. Then kidnapping you and Lucas? Is that what happened?”

Calderone nodded at him. “Si, that happened, but we were warned beforehand, so we weren’t caught unprepared.”

“Are the Don and Lucas safe?” Willow asked apprehensively.

Calderone looked at her and smiled slightly.

“Si, they are fine. Lucas is shaken up but he’ll be fine.

His father Fredo is probably dead by now and his brother Giovano is in Boston, probably taking aim at my father.

Oh, and Juno is in hospital recovering from being shot by his own father for not going along with this crazy plot.

” Calderone rubbed his face and added, “This has taken a long time to plan and a short time to unravel. But we must get on a plane and go back to Boston as soon as possible. I know dad is worried about us. These Grimaldi men have tried to take something that never would have been theirs in the first place. Fredo has broken every rule the Familia set in place and now he will have to face the consequences of his deception. But I have to warn my father soon. At least check on him and make sure he’s still alive.

I can only hope and pray he knows about the assassination attempt before it happens. ”

“This is crazy. I can’t believe it’s happening.” Jordy shook his head.

“Fredo is insane to think he could get away with this,” Calderone said. “He had to know it would be crossing a line he couldn’t come back from.”

Back in Boston...

Leon leaned back against the headrest on his chair and closed his eyes as he spoke to Bane, “Si, I will pray that Calderone comes home safe and sound. We still have to deal with the Gondo Cartel before this is over and Manuel Gondo is no one’s fool.

If he can boot his own father out of the seat of power what else is he capable of? ”

Bane sat there staring at him “Do you trust those reports? I mean really trust them? I know Excaliber gave them to us but she said they were secondhand. What do you know of the real people involved here?”

“I can see Manuel doing just that.” Leon nodded his head.

“Kicking his father to the curb and Trego was probably right there with him. They are greedy brothers, never satisfied with small bites when they always coveted the whole meal.” Leon frowned.

“But what I don’t see is Paulo just standing there, letting them get away with it. ”

Bane gave him a thoughtful look. “I know of this Paulo and he is a sneaking asshole to say the least about him. Do you think this might be a setup? Maybe letting us believe that Paulo was forced out but really he’s using this as step into the city, you denied him access to?”

Leon paused as he hadn’t thought about this angle before.

“With almost half of the cartel still loyal to Paulo and the rest following Manuel and Trego? That is a possibility. Especially if they think Fredo will take out the Don and Giovano will step into my shoes. That’s the crazy part of this whole plan.

I mean really? Take a man like the Don down with no repercussions?

” He shook his head. “That thought is insane all on its own, but to actually try it? It is beyond insanity.”

“But desperate men make desperate decisions, don’t they?” Bane asked quietly. “They believe what they want to believe and convince themselves that they can get it. They don’t consider losing because they’ve never lost before.”

Leon nodded slowly. “Fredo has always thought he should have been living here. But when he was younger, he had to cheat to get by and when that came out in unexpected ways, the Don turned his back on his expectations. Fredo earned his place outside the Familia and he knew it. He got caught and he still thought he could force his way into the inner circle. But no one trusted him, the only deals he could get were not the ones the Familia would recognize. He made money but no one with any power would deal with him. I’ve been keeping an eye on his connections for a very long time.

It didn’t surprise me that he went into business with the Gondo Cartel.

They were small time until they hooked up with Fredo.

The backdoor deals they got into were not legitimate by any means. ”

“Have you had any confrontations with Paulo Gondo?” Bane asked.

Leon nodded his head. “Paulo came to me twelve years ago and wanted permission to move someone here to continue dealing in my city, I told him no. Boston wasn’t for him and his cartel.

He could go anywhere else he wanted but not here.

I knew what he was doing and I would never sanction them.

Some drugs are fairly harmless but heroin is not one of those.

I told him no and believe me when I say, that he was not happy.

And neither was Fredo from what I understand.

I have contacts in Italy that told me Fredo went on a rampage twelve years ago and he kept it up until the Don put his foot down.

Fredo then went underground and began to build his empire in earnest.”

“And the Don let this go uncontested?” Bane asked. “That doesn’t sound right.”

Leon shook his head. “And it isn’t right.

Fredo went so far underground that no one knew what he was doing all these years.

I’m unsure if he was even in Italy or the Don would have found him.

I think even then, he had been setting this plot up.

He got an army of criminals together and Paulo on this side of the ocean to start building his own army up.

Fredo and Manuel probably came up with this double assassination between the two of them.

They convinced themselves that they could just shoot me and the Don then take over by force. ”

Bane snorted and shook his head. “And look how well that worked out for them.”

Leon shrugged his shoulders. “But it’s not over yet. Manuel is on his way here right now. Fredo is in hiding across the ocean and my son is still missing.”

Bane leaned forward and stared at Leon. “Like this Storm said...Have a little faith. You’ve already done the heavy work defending your place here. Now you have more friends waiting for round two. Stay strong, my friend. Don’t waver now or they will win.”

Leon stared at the ex-hitman as he spoke of faith and the fact that his family had backup.

.. As in Bane and his family. From what Leon knew, the Jessins never lose.

He almost smiled as he pictured the female Jessins as well.

A bad guy would never stand a chance with those girls.

He paused as he realized how odd it really was to get a pep talk from Bane Jessin.

But Leon actually felt his strength returning.

He shelved the fear he had been dealing with and he knew right then and there that he had to believe in his son, he had to believe C alderone would return.

Bane was correct. He had just defended his house against the first round.

Round two would be coming up and by God, he wouldn’t fail.

Later that evening...

Leon couldn’t see the driver well from this angle but the other person was smaller than Storm. However, with his size, most people were smaller, so that didn’t really mean anything.

Leon watched as the trio walked up the driveway and when they got closer he went out to the front hall and was waiting for them to come through the door.

When the door opened Leon frowned as he noted the person who had been sitting in the vehicle had been a woman. “Who the hell are you and why were you watching my home?” he snapped.

The woman stood very still and just stared at him.

Storm nudged her shoulder. “Her name is Lucinda as far as I know.”