Luca
After the revelations from last night, I was more uneasy than I had ever been about leaving Charlotte. Silvano visited her for months. The bastard was in her gallery yesterday. It was no longer just about her. he knew I was watching and he was taunting me. She was right, he had plenty of opportunities to do whatever he wanted with her, but that wasn't his only goal anymore. There was more to it and hopefully after I talked with Antonio, I would know more.
There was a new tension between Charlotte and I that I didn't like, but it would have to wait until I returned. She didn't like being ordered around, but she would have to learn how things worked around here. It wasn't like I was trying to hold her hostage. She was much safer here at my house, where Angelo and Marco could keep an eye on her themselves, than she was at her own place. Silvano's visits the last few weeks proved that.
"I'll call you tonight, okay?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her for one last kiss before Carlo and I left. There was a harsh fall breeze in the air, and even though the sun was out, it felt unbearably cold. At least I'd get a little bit of heat on the Amalfi Coast. Years ago, that was where Antonio decided to settle because of the easy access to the water. He could move product virtually undetected with a levy system, and the methods still worked to this day.
Charlotte nodded. "Am I allowed to go into work while you're gone?"
"You're not a prisoner, Charlotte." I rolled my eyes. "You can go into work if Marco or Angelo are with you."
"Right. My babysitters."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"I'm sorry. I know you're trying to keep me safe, it just all feels little overkill."
"I know it does, but that's because you don't know what this guy is capable of like I do." I tried to ease her mind.
"And I don't know because you refuse to tell me." She gave me a mocking smile.
"Okay, I'm going to head out now." I chuckled. Charlotte was tough. Her glare was so fierce it sent shivers down my spine. I had seen mafia men not be able to give such a deafening stare and god damn, I was impressed. I kissed her again, and then turned toward the car.
"Text me when you land." She called after me. "Just so I know you're there safe."
"I will." I smiled, welcoming the change. She couldn't stay angry for long, and that was a beautiful quality.
I, on the other, could hold a grudge with the very best of them. My entire life I hated Silvano for what he did to Antonio's family, and now he was antagonizing someone else I cared about. And he had to be stopped.
"Everything in order for the exchange tomorrow?" I asked Angelo, slipping a pair of leather gloves on and blowing into my hands. The chill was so sharp I was sure we'd get the first snow of the season while we were gone.
"Yep. Tony and Zeke have it covered. Marco will be on call just in case. The guns will be delivered to the warehouse and distributed from there." Angelo reported. Not only did he have to look after Charlotte while I was gone, he also took over regular operations. Tomorrow that meant a weapons drop from the Irish. Timing couldn't be worse.
"Good." I climbed into the car, Carlo following behind me. "We'll update you as soon as we know anything. Don't let her out of your sight."
"You got it." Marco nodded.
The ride was quick and when we arrived at the airport, the jet was waiting. Carlo and I loaded quickly and within the hour, we were on our way.
"Does Antonio know we're coming?" Carlo crossed one leg over his knee, pushing back into his seat to get comfortable for the long flight. On a commercial liner, it would be almost ten hours, but with the jet, we could cut that down drastically.
"No, I figured we'd surprise him." I grumbled, flipping through this mornings news. As if to add insult to injury, a picture of Grant Fallon flashed across my screen. Apparently, he was responsible for a drug bust at the border. The guy sure as hell was ambitious, I had to give him that.
"That sounds like a fucking terrible idea." Carlo raised his eyebrows in a questioning manor.
"Did I ask for your lousy opinion?" I gritted my teeth, keeping my eyes focused on the paper. Carlo was lucky he was one of my best men. He and Angelo had been by my side since the beginning, since we were barely out of diapers. That's the only reason I let them get away with ever questioning my authority. Any other man, and he'd be riding in the cargo space with our luggage instead of up here with me.
"I'm just saying..." He held his hands up in surrender. "It's been years since we've been back. It's too bad we can't stay longer."
"I know." The sky was now sprawled out beneath us and in a few short hours, we'd touch down in Salerno. Carlo was right, it had been far too long since we had been back here. Years ago, we would make trips out here a few times a year. We all still has family here, me included. After my father died, Antonio vowed to take care of my mother and moved her into his estate with him. We spoke occasionally, but it had been at least four years since I had seen her. A flash of guilt banged in my chest, knowing I should visit her more. It just seemed like every time I planned to, life got in the way. Things got busy in New York and I hardly had time to have a life there, let alone fly out here like I used to. Carlo's sister lived here, too, and was married to one of Antonio's son's, Gabe. I knew he'd be glad to see her, too.
I pulled out my laptop and began scrolling through emails. It seemed like this shit was never ending. Somewhere in my monotonous scrolling, I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I remembered, Carlo was shaking my shoulder.
"We're here." He said excitedly, looking out the window at the beautiful Italian country. Someday I'd bring Charlotte here, she would love it. It was exactly the kind of inspiration that would create beautiful paintings.
I followed Carlo out of the plane, and a wave of heat immediately hit me.
"Jesus Christ, we're not in New York anymore." I groaned, unbuttoning my jacket.
"Tell me about it." Carlo scoffed. "Where's a Starbucks when you need one?"
"Watch your mouth, culo." A familiar voice sounded from behind me. "You're in the homeland of the cappuccino. Starbucks is a dirty word around here."
We turned to see Gabe standing a few feet away from us, hands on his hips and grinning mischievously.
"Good to see you man!" I said shaking his hand and pulling him into a hug. "What are you doing here?"
"Dad heard you guys were coming into town and sent me to get you." He slapped my back. "Your sister is pissed you didn't tell her you were coming by the way." He gestured to Carlo, hugging him as well.
"Dios mio." Carlo threw his head back and rolled his eyes. "I haven't even been in the country ten minutes and she's already angry."
"Welcome to my world." Gabe joked. "You guys can come with me. Jag will bring your bags back to the house." He gestured to the man standing a few feet away from us. I didn't recognize him but he had to be a new soldier.
I nodded towards him and he smiled politely.
We walked towards Gabe's Ferrari sitting on the other side of the runway. "It's been a long time." He said as we climbed in. "What brings you two morons home? Where's Angelo?"
"Angelo stayed back. We've got a few exchanges this week that couldn't be trusted to just anyone. The Irish are breathing down our fuckin throats right now and I needed my best guys on it." I slid into the car next to him.
"And you decided to take a little vacation during all that shit?" He chuckled. Even though both Gabe and his brother Seth had been passed by in the line of succession to make room for me, there was no bad blood between us. They much preferred the slower and quieter lifestyle over here, and out of the spotlight.
"We came because we need to talk to your dad. We've also been having trouble with Silvano." Carlo said.
"No shit?" Gabe scoffed.
"Yep." I rubbed my forehead hoping he wouldn't press me for too many details.
"That seems odd. I know the bastard is getting old but he has to remember what happened the last time." He was referring to when his mother and sister were killed.
I was only eight at the time, but I remember it like it was yesterday. Since my dad was his second, my family practically grew up with his. Seth and Gabe and I would always run around playing together, and eventually moved up the ranks together with Angelo and Carlo. His daughter was quiet, but feisty. They always had her busy with piano or painting lessons, even at the age of five. His wife was beautiful and was the backbone of our entire group. She kept Antonio in line and cared for all of his men like they were her own. She used to sing to her kids at night, and I remember hearing her down the hall, using it as my own lullaby as well.
It was a cold evening in April, Antonio and Elena had taken the kids to their beach house for the weekend. Antonio and the boys had come back early, but Elena and Jocelyn were stopping to visit Elena's family on the way back. They were staying one extra night at the beach house, and set to leave the next morning. Around three in the morning, I remember being woken up abruptly by shrieking, sounding like it was coming from right outside my door. I got out of my bed terrified, and cracked my door open just a tiny bit. I was shocked to see the shrieking was coming from Antonio. A man I had never so much as shed a tear was standing in the hallway, heaving with sobs. My dads arms were wrapped around him, almost entirely holding him up.
My mother came into my room, tears streaming down her face as well. She sat on my bed, cradling me in her arms, and even though I didn't know what had happened, I knew everything was about change.
It turned out there had been a fire. The beach house had blown up and Elena and her little girl had been trapped inside, presumably sound asleep in their beds. They never stood a chance. The fire department investigated and determined it was an arson, which Antonio eventually traced back to Silvano.
The murders were a turning point for the entire group, molding Antonio into the stone cold leader he was today. He had lost a huge part of himself in that fire and it seemed like not much else mattered anymore. Even though he had his sons, that piece of him never healed. Now, no one dared to mention their names in his presence. I couldn't necessarily blame him, I couldn't imagine the pain. Thats why I had decided early on I was never going to let anyone get close enough to me. I would never have an opportunity to feel that unimaginable pain. That is until Charlotte came into the picture. I couldn't, I wouldn't, ever let anything like that happen to her.
After the murders, we went to war with the backing of all kinds of groups across the world. There were certain ethics that even mobsters upheld, and Silvano had obliterated those. He never stood a chance, and lost most of his force.
"Oh, something strange is going on alright." Carlo chuckled from the back seat.
"Carlo." I warned. He better not say a fucking word. He may be my best friend, but I wouldn't hesitate to knock his teeth out of he opened his big mouth about Charlotte. I wanted as few people to know as possible for now.
"What?" Gabe pressed, picking up on my frustration.
"Luca's in love." Carlo mocked behind me. I fought the urge to grab my gun and blow his fucking brains out.
"No fucking way!" Gabe shrieked nearly wrecking the car.
"Carlo is blowing this completely out of proportion." I groaned, rubbing my head. "I'm dating a girl. If you can call it that. We've been out a few times. But the more pressing issue is that Silvano is stalking her. He wants her for some reason."
"And you think dad knows something about it?" Gabe questioned pulling into the gate.
"I don't know. We're desperate at this point. We can't figure out who she is or why their after her."
"Interesting." Gabe said furrowing his brow. I glared back at Carlo who sat completely amused. He knew he could get away with that shit here because Antonio was in charge, not me.
Gabe parked the car and we all got out.
"Dad's in his office." He said, entering the code to get us into the house.
"Great. We should go talk to him before..."
"Luca!" My mother shrieked the second we walked in the door.
"Hi mom." I smiled, walking towards her and putting my arms around her. She looked exactly as I remembered, although without as much grief blanketing her face. She had been devastated when my father was diagnosed with cancer. It went pretty quickly after that and I wasn't sure I was ever going to see her smile again. He was a shit husband, but my mom didn't do well on her own.
"What are you doing here? It's so good to see you, figlio." Tears welled up in her eyes. There was that annoying guilt again.
"Just here for a quick visit." I kissed her cheek. "You look well."
"Thank you." She smiled softly. "I've missed you so much."
"I've missed you too, mom. I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit more." And I really was. I loved Italy, I always had. And the fact that my mom was here full time now made it even better. I really needed to make it a point to get out here more often, not just for business.
"All that matters is that you are here now." She kissed my cheek loudly. "I am going to make a great big dinner for you boys!" She said, kissing Carlo's cheek as well. "Its good to see you too, Carlo."
"And you too, Carmen."Carlo hugged her back.
"Do you mind if we go talk with Antonio while you're cooking mom?" I asked, rolling up the sleeves on my dress shirt. It was even hotter in this house than it was outside. Was I honestly missing the crisp New York air right now?
"No, he'll be glad to see you. Come back when you're done, though. I want to spend all the time with you as I can."
I nodded, smiling, and then followed Carlo out of the kitchen. Antonio's office was a few doors down. I knocked, waiting for an answer before we went in.
"Yes?" He called from the other side. There was something about his voice that could still send shivers down my spine. He could be terrifying when he wanted to be and growing up, we got to see a lot of that. Gabe, Seth, Angelo, Carlo and I were inseparable and we were always trying to find some kind of trouble to get in to. Whenever I was with Antonio, I still felt like a little kid getting scolded for something.
"Hi, boss." I said peeking around the door, Carlo close behind me.
Antonio sat behind a huge mahogany desk. He had files scattered in front of him and his face seemed to be frozen in a permanent scowl. It lit up just a hint when he saw us.
"Luca, Carlo! Good to see you!" He stood up and buttoned one of the buttons on his jacket. He stuck his hand out and both Carlo and I shook it. That was as close to a loving gesture as Antonio got.
"We're glad to see you, too. Sorry we didn't call first, it was kind of a spur of the moment trip." I said as Carlo and I sat down in the chairs on the other side of Antonio's desk.
"You know you are always welcome here, my son. No need to call." He smiled, sitting down again. He, too, looked exactly how I remembered him. His hair was slightly grayer, but everything else was the same. "I'm sure your mother was happy to see you."
"Yes, she definitely was." I laughed. "Although I am not sure she's going to let me leave again."
"She just misses you. You should call her more often." Antonio suggested. Although in my experience, when he suggested something, it was not a request but a demand.
"I will. We were just talking about trying to come out here more often. Things just get so busy back in New York, it seems like there is just never a good time."
"Business must be good then?" Antonio folded his arms across his chest and leaned back in his chair, not wasting anymore time with pleasantries.
"Business is booming." Carlo answered. "We have a few weapons trades happening this week and are hoping to open up another Miami location in the next few weeks."
"Thats what I like to hear." Antonio said nodding. "You didn't come all this way because business is booming, though."
"No, we didn't." I sighed. "We seem to have run into a little problem." I wondered where to even begin with this. I had to speak soon or Carlo was going to open his big mouth.
"What kind of problem?" Antonio pressed.
"The kind with long, dark hair and a tight ass." Carlo smirked. I shot daggers at him with my eyes. He was on my last fucking nerve this trip.
"Those are the worst kind." Antonio grinned, chuckling a little bit.
I slid a picture I had brought with me across the table. It was one I had taken of Charlotte a few weeks ago. Actually, Marco had taken it during the time he was tailing her and passed it along to me. Now, I carried it around with me wherever I went. "Do you know who this girl is?"
A wave of shock passed over Antonio. He raised his eyebrows and stared down at the picture. "This... this is the girl that is causing you so much trouble?"
"Yes." I answered. "Her name is..."
"Charlotte. I know." Antonio interrupted me.
"You know her." I said, now stunned myself. We were about to get the answers we all had been waiting for.
"First, tell me how you met her." Antonio said, grabbing a glass from his desk and bringing it to his lips. It smelled strongly of scotch.
"Well," I started. "I bought a painting from her, I bought several actually, to hang in the Miami location. She's very talented." Antonio simply nodded. I got more and more nervous as I spoke. "She was attacked at her gallery the night we were there. Silvano's men tried to kidnap her, tried to rape her, but Carlo, Angelo and Marco got there in time. Marco shot the bastard right in the middle of the gallery."
"Silvano." Antonio echoed, pursing his lips. His anger grew as I continued to speak.
"Yes. At first, I thought she was one of his girls. We found out he's been tailing her for months, though. Showing up at her gallery and pretending to be interested in her work. He's had plenty of opportunity, but he's left her alone except for those two incidents."
Antonio flinched. Why the fuck was he reacting this way? It was like it almost hurt him to hear this story.
"We had tech trace her phone to try to find a connection between her and Silvano, thats how we found out you were tracking her number." Carlo interjected.
Antonio was silent, I could see the gears turning in his head. It was driving me fucking insane. He knew her. He hadn't even hesitated when I showed him the picture. He knew exactly who she she was. But what did he want with her?
"Yes, I have been tracking Charlotte for quite some time now. Almost twelve years to be exact." He sighed, a morose expression filling his face. "Come with me for a second, there's something you need to see."
Antonio stood and walked over to the door leading to his library and we followed obediently. It was a giant room wall to wall with books. When we were kids, we used to come in here and push each other across the room on the ladders. I hadn't been in here in ages. After Elena and Jocelyn died, Antonio wouldn't let us in here anymore. This was their favorite place in the entire world and he couldn't bare to have it open. They would sit in here for hours reading together, just the two of them. I remember hearing the laughing pouring out of the room and down the hall. I couldn't believe we were in here now, in the sacred place. It almost felt haunting. Carlo and I looked at each other in confusion.
He led us to the far wall and grabbed a picture frame off of the shelf. He gazed at it for a second and a soft smile crept across his lips. After a few minutes, he handed me the frame. It was a picture of Elena and Jocelyn not too long before they were killed. I took it from him and studied it closely. They were both smiling widely with bright red lipstick on. Jocelyn's was smeared all over her lips but she was smiling proudly. Elena was as beautiful as ever behind her. Carlo looked over my shoulder, a faint smile on his lips.
"This is my favorite picture of them." Antonio's face was serious now. "Do you recognize that little girl, Luca?"
"Of course I do. It's Jocelyn." My voice broke a bit. I hadn't seen her face in years. I had to suck in a deep breathe remembering the somber cloud that fell over this entire place for months. Everyone adored the two of them. Jocelyn was the only girl who had been born to this family in years and everyone doted on her.
"It is. But is that all you see?" He asked. "Look at those eyes. Those beautiful, beautiful eyes." Antonio was getting choked up now, looking down at them. "Are they just the eyes Jocelyn, or are they the eyes of your Charlotte?"
All the air left my lungs. I realized it right as he said the words. I glanced back and forth between my picture and the one he was holding. They were the same almond shaped eyes, that playful spark I loved so much glistening in them.
No. No fucking way. It couldn't be. Jocelyn was dead. This couldn't be the same girl. Charlotte's father had left her and her mother. They had been killed, her dad and her two brothers....
Jesus Christ. Seth and Gabe were her brothers.
Charlotte was Antonio's daughter.