Devious Little Lies (13 page)

Chapter Nineteen

Rena opened the door and found Carmine Luchese standing at her doorstep with a bottle of wine and a laptop bag strapped over his shoulder.

“Carmine.”

“Boss Lady, you’re even more beautiful since our last meeting.”

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “Flattery will get you nowhere without results.”

Taking her hand, he brought it to his lips and kissed it before his expression turned somber. “I’ve got results and I’m sure you’re not going to like them.”

She waved him inside and he gave her the bottle of wine. She looked at the label and saw that it was a 2007 Sassicaia. Rena was far from a wine expert, but from the dated label, she was pretty sure Carmine had spent a few hundred dollars on the bottle.

“You really are trying to impress me.”

“Is it working?”

“We’ll see. Let me put this in the fridge and then we can talk in the living room.”

She made a pit stop in the kitchen and then she joined Carmine in the living room. He had already pulled his laptop out of the bag and had it on the coffee table. From his pocket, he pulled out a flash drive and stuck it into the side of the laptop.

“How bad is it?”

Carmine’s eyes met hers and he shook his head. “So bad that I have no idea how he was able to go this long without being caught.”

“So my suspicions were right?”

“Spot on.”

“Damn it. What do you have to show me?”

“As you probably know I’m pretty good with computers and technology. The whole bit. After we met I set up surveillance cameras where Alfonso usually does business.”

“At the whorehouse downtown?”

Carmine raised a brow. “You know about that place?”

Rena laughed. “Come on, Carmine. Do you really think I’m one of those stupid little wives that has no idea what kinds of things my husband is into?”

“No.”

“Good, because I’m not. I know about the whores and believe me from some of the ones I’ve seen, there needs to be a complete overhaul of the prostitution ring we’re running.”

“I couldn’t agree with you more on that. Some of the girls are…” Carmine trailed off.

“You can say it. Skanky looking like something you’d fuck near a dumpster.”

“Yeah. I have to say, Mrs. Rosetti, I don’t think any other woman would be comfortable with the subject we’re talking about.”

“And I’m not any other woman. Now, what are you showing me first?”

Carmine slid the computer closer to where she was seated. “The first thing is just surveillance from a few phone conversations he’s having. It’s graphic.”

He pressed a key and the video started to play. Alfonso was leaning back in his chair getting serviced by one of the girls. His behavior did not surprise Rena in the least. Only a fool wouldn’t take advantage of whores so readily available. The phone on his desk rang and he picked it up.

“Yeah,” he said into the phone.

He listened before banging his hand on the desk. “I told you buy whatever the hell you want, Teresa. You don’t need to check in with me every time you want to go shopping.”

The whore lifted her head and Alfonso urged her back down.

“You’re my wife. It doesn’t matter what the fuck you buy or how much it costs.”

He continued to listen, annoyance written on his face.

“Don’t worry about it. Right now we’ve got more money than we could ever spend. I’ve been smart while Tony’s been locked up and Vince has his head up his ass. Just shop and keep your damn mouth shut, Teresa. Nobody knows about the money I took and no one is going to find out. Love you. Bye.”

Alfonso ended the call and grabbed the hair of the brunette going down on him. “Suck it harder.”

“The bastard. That sounds like a full confession to me.”

“There’s more.”

The scene changed and she found herself watching Alfonso talking with two men, one short and stocky, the other tall and lanky. She’d never seen the men before.

“Who are those two?”

“Jacob and Levi Caseolla. They’re brothers and Alfonso’s first cousins.”

Nodding, she continued watching the tape. Her blood started to boil as she listened to Alfonso and his cousins laugh and joke about all the money they’d been skimming off the tributes that were supposed to be paid. Rena gritted her teeth when Alfonso bragged about making up the numbers on the books and the large Swiss bank account he’d opened up with the millions he’d stolen.

“Turn it off.”

“There’s more. I have at least three hours’ worth of video showing him admitting to stealing from Tony.”

“I’ve seen enough.”

Carmine stopped the video and leaned back against the couch, watching her. It was one thing to hear a rumor, but it was an entirely different thing to see in living color proof of your suspicions. Alfonso was guilty. A man her husband had trusted had betrayed him and dared to brag about it.

“What now?”

“He’s a dead man.”

“Do you want me to handle it?”

She rose from the couch, shaking her head. “No. You take care of the cousins, but Alfonso is mine.”

“Have you ever…?”

“Ever shot someone? Yes. Ever killed someone? No, but there’s a first time for everything.”

“Once you get your hands dirty, that blood is on your hands forever,” Carmine said quietly.

“I’m not taking this lightly. I realize that once I cross this line I can never go back. Once Pandora’s Box is open it can’t be closed.”

“Yes.”

“Tony trusted Alfonso like he trusts all of you, but Alfonso spit on Tony’s trust. He betrayed my husband and he made a joke out of what he’s been doing. He’s going to suffer for that.”

“When?”

“I want the cousins taken care of first. I want the bastard to be scared. I want him to sit around and wonder what the hell is going on and then I want to be the one to put a bullet in his head.”

“All hail the Queen.”

“You’ve done well, Carmine. You’re going to make an excellent
capo
, but remember who put you there.”

“I will. From now until the day I die, you have my absolute loyalty.”

Carmine rose and took her hand, pressing a kiss on to it.

“You keep doing that and I’m going to start to believe I’m an ordained don instead of just a housewife trying to protect her husband’s business.”

“Rena, you could never be just a housewife. The boss knew that when he married you.”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Some things you just know. Do you want me to leave the flash drive?”

“Yes.”

Carmine shut down the laptop and gave her the flash drive before he put the computer in his bag and slipped it across his shoulder.

“Why do I have a feeling you’re going to be a boss unlike anything we’ve ever seen?”

“Maybe you know a good thing when you see it.”

“Maybe so. How do you want it done?”

Rena tapped her chin with her pointer finger. “Not only do I have the power to sanction a set of murders, but I also get to decide the style of execution. Perhaps being in charge will be an even better experience than I imagined. They’re peons, not worth much. One bullet to the head, execution style. We’ll save the fun stuff for Alfonso.”

“A woman after my own heart. The boss is a lucky man indeed.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll be in touch.”

Rena nodded as she walked Carmine to the door. Her mind was swirling with a million thoughts. She’d just given the order for her very first hit, as well as made plans for a hit of her own. Closing the door behind Carmine, she leaned against it. Her suddenly boring life had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. She had work to do and lots of it.

Chapter Twenty

She was so busy now, her days as a bored housewife long gone. The next phase of expanding Distinction
was moving forward at a rapid pace. Mario was handling all the legal matters ranging from protecting the originality of her designs to the contracts for the expansion of the store. Ashley was handling all of the day-to-day things, for which she was glad. There were other things she had to attend to.

Ever since her meeting, all she’d done was think about putting a bullet between Alfonso’s eyes, but she was having to wait because Carmine had not yet taken care of Jacob and Levi Caseolla. A proper hit took time. The place, timing, and conditions had to be just right, especially if you didn’t want the law catching you. The last thing she needed was to lose the one person who’d stepped up and proven his loyalty to her, so for now she waited. Carmine was a professional and she had no doubt that he would get the job done.

“We’re almost there, Boss Lady,” Cesare said from the front seat.

She nodded at him in the rearview mirror and smoothed an errant hair back into place. Five minutes later and they were pulling up at the Palms Fantasy Tower. Her lunch companion and she would be dining at
Nove Italiano
, one of the best authentic Italian restaurants in Vegas. As Cesare stopped the vehicle and helped her from the back seat people stared, but she didn’t care. Her lifestyle came with a certain level of notoriety so she gave them her best condescending smile and stepped inside the foyer.

Cesare moved ahead of her, eyeing everyone around them. The doors to the elevator opened and they took it up to the fifty-first floor where the restaurant was located. Stepping from the elevator doors, Rena was immediately impressed by the décor. Tiled floors, black leather booths. From the foyer she could see the lit up wine displays. The bar was packed with people. As she walked up to the room, Rena noticed the hostess standing there smartly dressed.

“Guerico, party of two,” she told the brunette hostess.

“Yes, ma’am. The other member of your party is already here. If you’ll follow me.”

She grabbed a menu and motioned for Rena to follow her. Soon she could see the back profile of her lunch companion.

“Here you are, ma’am.”

The hostess placed her menu down on the table just as Rena’s lunch companion rose and grabbed her hand.

“Rena.”

“Simone.”

As she and Simone hugged, Rena could feel the tension in her friend’s shoulders. She knew that tension all too well. The life of a mob wife with the weight of the world on your shoulders. As they parted and took their seats, Rena studied her lunch companion. Simone Guerico was a beautiful woman. Chestnut brown hair, wide brown eyes, olive skin to die for, and a warm, winsome smile. She was the girl next door, the sweet girl Rena had always wanted to be and never could. But today she wasn’t smiling. There were pronounced frown lines around her mouth and shadows beneath her eyes.

“It’s good to see you, Rena, and I appreciate you reaching out to me.”

“I’ve been in your shoes and I’m more than happy to do whatever I can. How’s Hector?”

Simone shook her head. “Not good. He’s ready to tear the damn jail apart.”

“Are those fucks still denying him bail?”

“Yes. According to them they can’t have their biggest catch in years fleeing the country.”

“Bastards. How are the kids?”

Simone wiped away a tear and Rena took her hand. Her heart went out to Simone. Not only was she having to deal with her husband being locked away like an animal, but now she was the one left trying to hold her family together. A heavy burden had been thrust upon her.

“Junior is just like his father. Angry. He just stays in his room and waits for his father to call. Gino and Katerina are too young to understand what’s going on. All they know is Daddy’s not home.”

“You can’t give up. Both of you are going to have a battle ahead of you, but Hector needs to be home with you and your children. They could drag this trial on forever.”

“I know. I’m just beside myself with worry.”

“I hate to break it to you, sister, but you have to tuck all that away and hold yourself together for your husband and your family.”

“You’re right, but I’m not sure I know how.”

“Excuse me, ladies. I’m Emmanuel, your waiter. What can I get for you today?”

Rena and Simone quickly glanced at the menu before ordering. They both ordered strawberry margaritas before Simone decided on Chicken Marsala and Rena chose the
Nove
Spaghetti rich in lobster, crab, shrimp, calamari, and basil. When their waiter left, Rena glanced over at the bar. Cesare and Simone’s bodyguard were deep in conversation, beers in hand.

“How do you do it, Rena?”

“Do what?” Rena turned her attention back to Simone.

“Hold it all together. Not let Tony being away break you down.”

Rena smiled, tasting the bitterness behind it. “Years of practice. When Tony got sentenced, things between the two of us weren’t so great so it made things a bit easier for me to deal with.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. I wasn’t aware you two had any problems.”

“Nobody was. We have always been the picture perfect mob couple, but paradise is not always what it seems. But regardless of how things were, I still loved him and as you know when we take our vows it is until death separates us. So I put on my big girl panties and stood by my husband’s side regardless of the outcome.”

“And how are things between the two of you now after so much time apart?”

Simone’s brown eyes were wide and thoughtful as she stared at Rena waiting for an answer. Rena’s marriage was in as a precarious situation as it had ever been before, but there was no reason for Simone to know that. Especially when Rena was trying her best to bolster Simone’s own strength to stand beside her husband, Hector, who was actually a decent man. So Rena lied, something she’d become very good at.

“He’s doing everything in his power to get out. He wants to devote himself to me one hundred percent when he gets home. Tony trusts me more than anyone else and I’ve never betrayed that trust.”

Liar. Kissing your daughter’s boyfriend is the highest level of betrayal.
Rena ignored the voice in her head.

“But what about you, Rena? Do you still love him?”

“Yeah I do, despite everything.”

Their waiter returned, setting their meals down in front of them. Rena’s entrée looked and smelled amazing. Taking a sip of her margarita, she contemplated Simone from across the table. How she envied her. Simone had the love of a man who worshipped the ground she walked on and three beautiful healthy children. Being the wife of a “made man,” had not yet taken away her kind and loving nature. Their world hadn’t chewed her up and spit her out and for Simone’s sake she hoped it never did. Betrayal and heartache were hard to come back from, even for the toughest of them.

* * * * *

Entrées finished and nursing their second margaritas, a thought sprang to Rena’s mind.

“Did you receive an invitation to Sage Aprea’s ball?”

Simone sipped her drink and rolled her eyes before she answered. “Umm hmm. The nerve.”

“I take it you’re not a fan of her either.”

“Of course not. She’s a low class
puttana
. Enzo was a fool to marry her, but that doesn’t change anything.”

“I admit, I laughed when I received my invitation but now that I’m sitting here I think it might be a good idea if we crashed that party.”

“Rena, you can’t be serious.”

Rena raised an eyebrow. “Of course I am. It’s the perfect place to make a statement.”

“What kind of statement?”

“That we are strong and no matter what the world has thrown at us, we are not shrinking wildflowers. We are women of strength, style, and substance and the absolute best of what this life has to offer.”

Simone tapped her finger against her cheek as she contemplated what Rena was proposing. Rena took a few more sips and finished her margarita while she waited for her friend to speak. A few moments later a furrow appeared between Simone’s brows.

“I’ll never find something spectacular enough to wear in such a short amount of time.”

“You leave that to me.”

Simone laughed. “So you’re a fairy godmother too?”

“Hardly, but what I am is a woman about to launch her own fashion line. How would you feel about premiering a Rena Rosetti exclusive?”

“I’m game.”

“Good. When we upstage Sage Aprea, she’s going to wish she never thought to invite us.”

“I like the way you think.”

“Hey, we’re all a little devious inside.”

Smiling she motioned for the waiter to bring her another margarita. She was so looking forward to crashing this party. Sage was going to hate her more than she already did and that was the icing on the cake.