Until Death or Defeat (Until Death Duet #1)

1. Giselle

Giselle

“There is absolutely no way you expect me to go tonight,” I shoot my father a warning glare from across the kitchen counter.

“Please don’t start this again. We do this every single time, Giselle, and you know damn well I won’t tolerate your acts of rebellion tonight. It’s an important night for your brother,” he warns in his typical no-nonsense tone.

Everything is always about my fucking brother. Somehow, no matter how unfit for something someone can be, they can still earn shit simply because they’re a man.

I slam my glass down on the counter, surprised when it doesn’t shatter from my force as I storm out of the room. He calls out to me, but I keep walking until I find the comfort of my bed as I leap onto it face first.

Tonight is the night that my father gets to announce to all the other Families that my brother is preparing to take over as the new head of the Santoro Family, something that my father knows should have been meant for me one day.

I worked tirelessly throughout high school to get valedictorian even while grieving our mother’s death, got myself into Columbia and then worked my ass off even harder getting my business degree.

What was my charming, perfect brother doing while I was in college? Well, I’m sure he made his way with his dick through half of New York, if you can even count that as an achievement worthy of the Head of a Family.

I sit at my large vanity and begrudgingly start to do my makeup for the event tonight. As I stare at my reflection, I truly do wonder what the fuck I’m supposed to do with my life now.

I had hoped working hard to show how smart, independent, and reliable I am, that my father might finally open his eyes and see that I’m the one who belongs by his side, the one who can actually be worthy to be his predecessor.

But here I am, putting on my makeup to prepare to just be the perfect daughter of a mafia don who knows her place and doesn’t complain.

I fuck up my eyeliner the moment I realize what this means, the long, black line shooting out from my eye as I drop the pencil.

He’s going to be there.

He’s going to watch my father basically say that I’ve lost to my brother.

I can’t even imagine the foul things he’s going to spew from his mouth, the boisterous laugh that’s going to echo through the country club walls as he watches my life crumble before his eyes. My jaw tightens as I grab a makeup wipe to try to fix my eyeliner.

How am I going to survive this night at all?

“You know what? I won’t give him the satisfaction,” I say to no one as I jump up from my vanity bench and walk over to my closet.

“Where the hell is it?” I rummage through my hangers until my eyes spot the sparkling red fabric and grab it from the rack with a wide smile.

I’ve been saving this dress for a special occasion, and tonight is the perfect night for it.

I won’t let anyone see me as the girl who fades into the background to let someone else shine.

Ever.

The car ride is unbearable. Sharing this stuffy Lincoln with my brother and my proud father is going to make me crack.

“Cheer up kid,” my brother whispers as he lightly jabs my elbow.

I sigh and keep looking out of the rear window. It’s so hard trying to hate Caesar for taking everything that belonged to me when he’s consistently been the one person in my life who actually respects me.

Always the only one to notice his poor, forgotten little sister and make her feel loved.

My brother is one of those people who just walks into a room and everyone loves them, everyone turns their head and smiles; just happy to be in their presence.

I have never been one of those people, and I never could be.

“Stop worrying about me so much, aren’t you more worried about your speech?” I ask as I finally turn my head to the side he’s on.

“Well I thought I’d just wing it,” he says casually as he shrugs his shoulders.

This is one of the many things I despise about my brother, he doesn’t think anything through before he does it. He just goes with the flow at every corner and it drives me up the fucking wall.

My father chuckles as he overhears us talking, looking in the rearview mirror as he smiles at my brother.

“You know Caesar, tonight is going to be the start of a whole new world just at your fingertips, yet you always surprise me with how collected you are in times where anyone else would be nervous.”

My eyes roll so far back in my head it hurts. Of course my father finds a way to turn my brother being lazy and carefree into being so ‘cool and collected.’

He sees my expression through the rearview mirror and clicks his tongue. “Giselle, no more of that. You will be happy for your brother, you will go in there, and you will smile. Your time to contribute to the Family will come.”

My brows furrow slightly as I look out of the window again, wondering what he could mean by that.

When we finally make it to the country club, my brother goes around to my side of the car to open my door for me and help me out. My father hands the keys to the valet, following far behind us as I wrap my arm around Caesar’s and we make our way through the entrance hall.

“You look great tonight.”

“Thanks,” I say with a forced smile.

“You look more like her every year, you know?”

It’s a compliment, but it stings. I hate being reminded that I lost my mother, as much as I love thinking of her, I can’t stand people pointing out that she isn’t here, and all that’s left of her is our resemblance.

I try to control my breathing as we make our way through the hall to enter the main ballroom, giving polite smiles to random members as we pass.

This is where all the events for the Families are held.

My uncle owns this entire country club estate, and it’s been in our family for generations.

The Santoros have been settled in New York since my great-great-grandfather moved here from Italy.

He quickly became one of New York’s most prominent mob bosses, solidifying the Santoros into the spot right at the top.

It’s all extravagant; the tall, almost Victorian walls and large, glistening chandeliers setting an air of wealth, the kind that feels oppressive rather than inviting.

We walk down the steps arm in arm, and I look out at many of the members of the various Families enjoying cocktail hour.

There are a lot of crime families in New York, and yet they never fail to all show up to these god-awful events regardless of what’s going on in their lives and with their business.

This hall is supposed to be a neutral zone, where everyone can freely interact with who they choose to and avoid conflict.

That is obviously not always reality, but for the most part, there aren’t any major issues at these events.

Everyone is too busy pretending they’re so happy and perfect to show that they’re holding grudges or envious of anyone else.

This is the place where they get to come and smile in everyone’s face, show off their pretty little wives, and hope everyone is watching while they do it.

“I’m getting a drink,” I say as I release my brother’s arm and turn to walk away from him and my father.

As I walk up to the bar, Caesar comes after me. “We should talk, Gigi,” he says as he stands beside me at the bar.

“Not until I get my drink,” I say, shooting him a sideways grin and he returns it.

“Double whiskey and a dirty Shirley Temple,” he says, turning to the bartender and holding out a hundred-dollar bill, “and whatever else the lady asks for tonight.”

I really do love my brother, despite how much I truly believe he can’t be the head of the Family.

He’s soft, and I’m worried it’s going to get him hurt one day.

But he’s the only person who ever runs after me when I inevitably close myself off and drift from a group, and I’ll forever be thankful to have someone like that in my life.

Caesar walks close to me, still surveying the room to see who has already made it to the event. His loose, dark brown curls fall on his forehead as he tips his head down to greet someone in passing.

My brother has always been popular, and not just with the ladies. He can go up to anyone and talk about anything. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was being interrogated and ended up being able to charm his way right out of the police station after befriending everyone in sight.

It’s almost diabolical; but I choose to pretend that it’s because he’s a naturally nice person, and not that he does it intentionally.

“Look, I know that you thought this was going to go differently, but you know this is just how it is. Dad knows how amazing you are, and—”

“Does he? Because he’s never even said that to my face before.”

His expression grows more thoughtful as he takes a breath.

“You know how he is; he hates showing how he feels, he’s just bad with words. He bought you that car after you graduated and got your degree.”

Pfft.

“That’s funny, because he has no problem telling you how great you are all the time,” I say, looking up annoyed at the ceiling.

I draw in another breath before I look at him again.

“And you know what, it isn’t even your fault—that’s the worst part.

I can’t even blame you, because even if I try so hard to be everything I need to be, I would still lose to you in every lifetime because you are just always going to be the person who everyone wants to choose. ”

He looks at me solemnly as I utter my bitter words and put my head down into my palm.

“You know that too, don’t you? I’m just too much for everyone. I get riled up, I don’t listen to anyone, I fight everyone on everything I can at every corner because it’s just who I am, and people can’t stand it. Especially Dad.”

He puts his hand on my shoulder. “I’m glad you recognize how awful you are then,” he says with a cocky grin. I open my mouth in mock disbelief as I shove him.

“Gigi, you are one of the most accomplished women I know. You worked so hard to get to where you are, and you did it all on your own even though you didn’t have to. You’ve become an incredibly strong and independent woman. Mom would be so proud to see you right now.”

My jaw clenches when he mentions Mom again.

“And where did all that work get me? Now that I won’t be the Head, all I have to look forward to in life is getting to be some man’s trophy to parade around.”

He gives me a displeased look, hating the cynical tone I take whenever I talk about my life. “If you think for a second that all you’ll be to a man is a trophy, you’re wrong. I would never let you marry some tool who thinks of you like that.”

“If you weren’t such a perfect brother, I’d probably hate you,” I say with a loving smile as he puts his arm around my shoulder and gives me a squeeze.

“Love you too, Gigi,” he says with a wide grin as he lets his arm fall back down to his side.

Why do I struggle to say how I feel, even to my own flesh and blood?

Soon, the hall is full of voices and the sound of drink glasses moving. My anxiety comes in waves as I wait for the night to inevitably progress until finally, my father gets to announce his joyous news.

My eyes flash around looking for him, but I haven’t seen any of his family yet. Maybe he won’t show?

No, I’m sure he will, because the universe wouldn’t grant me that kind of grace even if I begged it to.

“Don’t let him punk you tonight,” my brother says with a nudge of the shoulder and a smirk, noticing how I was scanning the room.

“I wasn’t looking for him,” I lie. He laughs when he hears the inflection in my voice.

“That guy only fucks with you because you give him the satisfaction. You should just ignore him,” he says, putting his drink up to his mouth.

Easy for him to say; he isn’t the one who has everything to prove.

“Plus, I’m not sure I can guarantee your safety if you stab him again,” he says, laughing as he tries to drink again.

“Jesus, you stab a man once four fucking years ago and no one lets you live it down,” I say with a grin. He chuckles and gives me a disapproving shake of his head.

I know he’s right, but I swore on that day nine years ago that I would never let that man know peace again.

The night draws on, and I find myself sitting alone at a table and enjoying some hors d’oeuvres. The room falls silent when my father clinks his glass to get everyone’s attention, standing at the head of the ballroom by the main staircase with my brother beside him.

“I wanted to take the opportunity tonight to announce something,” he says with a wide smile as he puts his hand on my brother’s shoulder.

“You are all now looking at the new Head of the Santoro Family, my pride and joy,” he squeezes his shoulder tighter as they both give a quick chuckle.

“My son Caesar will be taking over—old men gotta know when to retire!”

The room fills with clapping, laughter, and even some whistling. I feel my stomach drop watching them like this, trying to sneakily run from the room so I don’t have to watch another moment.

I ascend the back spiral staircase leading to the roof, and the door creaks as it closes and slams itself shut loudly as I run through it.

Once I finally find the cement ledge and lean over it, I let my tears I’ve been holding back break through.

I try to steady my breath and hold my hand to my forehead.

My brother deserves to be happy and successful, he was born to take over, I tell myself over and over in my head.

Once I’ve calmed myself, I shift to stand straighter, turning around to try to regain my confidence to go back down. I look up and am met with my worst nightmare.

Artem. Fucking. Sokolov.