Lucky for me, I was able to fall back on the excuse, but it hadn’t been the true motivation behind my actions. There was fear involved, but it was fear she’d never speak to me again, rather than fear for her safety. What I’d done to her boss had pushed her over the edge—it was written plainly in the hollow depths of her glassy eyes.
The only viable way to get her to change her perspective was to shred the rose-colored veil her parents had erected around her. Once she saw I wasn’t so unlike the people she called family, maybe she’d let me in. At the very least, it would keep her from slamming the door in my face.
Regardless of my reasons, Enzo had every right to have me gutted.
I had betrayed a sacred oath and jeopardized his relationship with his daughter. Like the man said, it was total insanity for me to walk straight up to his front door. All I could do now was hope he was a forgiving man and saw courage in my actions.
“My daughter appears to have developed feelings for you. I can’t imagine having you killed would improve my already strained relationship with her. If I let you walk out of here, understand I would not be so generous a second time.” The threat implicit in his words was mirrored on his stony features. This was not a get-out-of-jail-free card—I had been warned.
I left the Genovese home without any missing or broken body parts, so I considered the trip a raging success. Enzo was now clued into Sal’s actions and the mounting danger surrounding his family. The concern I’d expressed for Alessia had been legitimate. There was no guarantee someone wouldn’t seek revenge, even without the Commission’s approval.
The more I thought about it, the more I needed to check on her. I told her I’d give her space, but I needed to see her for myself to know she was alright. The unused adrenaline from my meeting was still coursing through my system, so I decided to hit the gym first before I paid Alessia a visit. If I went over this keyed up and she raged at me like she had before, I might do something I’d regret. Tying her to her bed and fucking her into submission might seem like a good idea at the time, but it would come back to bite me in the ass. I was walking a fine line with her, and I knew it.
I drove straight from Enzo’s house to the gym. I always kept a set of gym clothes in my trunk, which had proven handy on more than one occasion. When I walked into the old, musty warehouse building, Rafi was already geared up and hitting the heavy bag. I gave him a nod and went back to the locker room to change before returning to spar with him.
“I take it the hunt isn’t going well?” asked Rafi when I joined him at the bag.
“It’s over, actually,” I said smoothly as I wrapped my hands.
“What do you mean? You found him?”
“Yeah, I was right—it was her father. Had a meet with him just now.”
“God damn, you got balls.” He punched my shoulder, sticking his unusually long tongue out at me. “Glad you’re still alive.”
“He wasn’t thrilled I was there, but he didn’t know anything about Sal’s bullshit, so he was glad I spoke up.”
“That two-timing asswipe better run—he’s gonna have all five families gunnin’ for him.” He held up his fist, fingers out like a gun, and pretended to shoot. Crap like that would keep Rafi from ever becoming more than a soldier. He was a good kid, but street smarts didn’t come naturally to him.
“The Commission meets on Thursday. Until then, we wait. No unsanctioned hits, even for revenge—you know that,” I warned him with a leveling stare.
“Yeah, yeah. That doesn’t mean we can’t beat the shit outta this bag instead.”
“Exactly.” Finished with my wrap, I shot out my fist and pounded the bag with the first of what would be hundreds of brutal strikes.
CHAPTER 22
ALESSIA
I hadn’t heardfrom Luca since he’d forced his way into my apartment the day before. I’d spent all evening thinking, but the only decision I’d made was that it was time to bring Giada into the fold. It wasn’t an easy call to make. Telling her might endanger her, and I didn’t want to get myself into trouble for spreading information. However, there were any number of counter-arguments. I could count on her to keep her mouth shut, plus, she deserved to know what was happening in our family. In a much more selfish vein, I needed to tell her so she could help me figure out what the hell I was supposed to do. She had helped me through every major life decision untilthat point, and I floundered at the idea of forging ahead without her on this front.
Telling Giada was one thing, my sister Sofia was entirely different. She had been so insistent on paving her own path; I hated to disrupt her progress by throwing our family secrets at her feet. Hypocritical, I know, but she was my little sister, and I felt protective. This type of information changed things.
Once you knew, there was no going back.
Giada and I decided to meet for lunch at a small pizza place near her apartment. I normally tried to eat healthy, but the stress of my current situation called for carbs. Lots of carbs. When Giada arrived, we ordered our oversized slices of pizza, then found a table on the patio outside for privacy.
“What’s the latest news?” she asked, completely oblivious to the bomb I was about to drop in her lap.
“This talk is going to call for another warning.”
“I got it—you, me, no one else. Spill,” she said as she waved her hand at me passively.
“Jeeze, alright. So, I decided it would be best to break up with Luca. We fought—it was ugly. Then he told me something that changed everything, and the only reason I’m telling you is because it involves you too.”
“Me?” she balked.
I glanced around, ensuring there were no prying ears nearby. “Yes. Luca isn’t the only one who’s in the mafia—practically our entire family is … connected. Giada, my dad is the boss—a bonafide godfather.”
