* * *
The next couple of weeks pass by in a blur of activity as we work to formulate a plan for training our new dons. All but six dons across the US and their trained successors survived the explosion, so our work is cut out for us. Cinisi sent us fifty good men, and Ben has bolstered our ranks with employees from his various security firms. While they aren’t made men, most are highly skilled bodyguards, and we have sent teams of security personnel to everyfamigliato provide added protection while their new dons get up to speed.
The Commission has been meeting every morning to work on plans, and it has helped to strengthen the bonds between them.
Luca Accardi—Gino’s nephew—had already been appointed to manage the Accardifamigliain New York in Gino’s absence until the twins come of age and are able to run the business, so that’s been a relatively smooth transition. Gabriele Greco had been earmarked to succeed Don Maximo for years, and he’s an experienced made man with sharp instincts and an open mind. It could be argued DeLuca has done us a favor in the long run because I think we will emerge as a stronger, more progressive organization as a result of this forced change.
It doesn’t eliminate the current threat though, and some families are already reporting issues with rivalmafiosoin local territories. Ben has set up a hotline within the internal division of Caltimore Holdings to answer emergency calls, because our cells are hopping ninety-nine percent of the time and it can be difficult getting through to the boss man.
Ben went with Sierra to the hospital today for a regular prenatal checkup, so I got to come home early for a change. Rena returned to the NYU campus this week, and she had a late lecture today, so I was tempted to stay in the city and travel home with her. But she has a team of bodyguards with her whenever she leaves the house, and I know they will protect her. I wanted to come home to spend some time with Elisa and Romeo. This has been hard on the kids, and I have been absent a lot despite officially moving my stuff in.
I am in the living room snuggled on the couch with the kids and watching a movie when their mom arrives home. Serena races past me like a whirlwind. Her gorgeous face is unnaturally pale, and her hazel eyes are wide and terror-stricken. Alarm bells ring in my ears. “Watch your brother,” I tell Elisa, instantly getting up to go after the woman who has claimed my heart.
“Serena?” I call out, entering her bedroom through the open door. Sounds of vomiting alert me to her presence in the bathroom, and I rush to her side.
She is clutching a large brown envelope in her hand as she bends over the toilet and retches. Scraping her hair back from her face, I snatch a hair tie from the sink and tie it around her long locks. Kneeling beside her, I gently smooth my hand up and down her back as she expels the entire contents of her stomach.
When she’s done, I hand her a cool cloth, and she runs it over her clammy face before wiping her mouth and slumping against the side of the tub.
“What’s going on? Did something happen at college today?”
She lifts panicked eyes to mine, and my heart stutters in my chest. “Rena, please. You’re scaring me.” I move over in front of her. “Tell me what’s wrong, and I’ll fix it.”
A strangled sound rips from her throat as she clutches the envelope to her chest. “They gave us our new assignments today,” she says in a hoarse, lilting voice. With trembling fingers, she removes papers from the envelope, letting them drop to the ground. Picking up a small, square sheet of white card, she hands it to me.
All the blood drains from my face when I read the crudely written words.
BLOOD IN. BLOOD OUT.
“Where did you get this?”
“It was in my envelope.” She gulps and tears fill her eyes. “It’s him. It’s DeLuca.” Tears roll down her face. “It’s not over, Alesso. It’s never going to be over. He is coming for me, and there isn’t a damn thing you or Ben can do to stop it.”
“It’s going to be okay.” Lifting her up, I slide underneath her, settling her on my lap. I rest my back against the side of the tub. “No one is getting to you. They will have to kill me stone dead before I will let anyone take you.”
“I had a bad feeling about this all along.” She shivers as she snakes her arms around my neck. “Dad never mentioned any relatives in Sicily, but my gut told me not to overlook them. It’s why I went to Ben in the first place.”
“You were right, and we should have pushed harder, but we thought the intel we got was kosher.”
“What does he want with me?”
“I wish I knew.” I have some suspicions, but I won’t voice them because Rena is trembling and shaking, and playing guessing games isn’t going to help. Neither is the fact we can’t find a trace of any DeLuca in Chicago or any evidence of someone who moved to the US from Sicily recently. Phillip has recruited a team of internal IT personnel to help, but it’s like searching for a needle in a haystack. Our PI on the ground in Chicago wants out, and he contends his man on the inside has gone AWOL, so no intel has been forthcoming from that direction.
We are completely blind, and it’s so fucking frustrating.
Rena hugs me tighter, and I hold her close, running my hand up and down her back as she nuzzles into my shoulder. Gradually, her trembling subsides, and when she lifts her head, I spot familiar defiance on her face. “They did this to freak me out, and fuck them!” Fire dances in her eyes. “I’m not giving them what they want. They want to drive me out of college. Force me to abandon my dreams and live in fear, and I refuse to do it.” She climbs to her feet, looking like a fierce warrior. “Let’s put the kids to bed and head to the gym. Edoardo has been putting me through my paces every night, but I want to go head-to-head with you and see how I fare against a better fighter.” She hops from foot to foot. “That sick bastard isn’t getting his grabby hands on me.”
* * *
“Well, how did I do?” Rena asks a couple of hours later, stepping into our bedroom, freshly showered, in a thigh-high silk lace nightie that does wonders for my libido.
“You were amazing, angel.” I pull her into my arms and kiss her, my skin still slightly damp from my shower. “My very own badass hot momma.” I might be teasing, but there is no denying Rena’s sheer resilience to live is driving the massive improvement in her skills. Put her out on an average street and she would easily block any would-be rapist or mugger. But put her up against a made man, honed from years of bloodshed and violence, and she will still have a fight on her hands.
“I meant what I said,” she says, repositioning herself on my lap. She straddles me, tilting my face up to hers. “I’m not letting any asshole get his hands on me again. I would rather die than let that happen.” She absently rolls her fingers along the necklace resting on her collarbone.
“Is this new?” I ask, admiring the gold pendant around her neck.
“Yes.” She bites on her lower lip, and my cock twitches behind my sweatpants. “Sierra, Nat and I got them recently.”
