S
UNLIGHT PIERCED THROUGH
the curtains in my dark room. It felt warm, protective. I could almost believe I wasn’t dead inside. I could almost imagine a world where Tex was lying next to me.
A world where the Mafia didn’t exist.
And marriage wasn’t used politically. Who was I kidding? I’d done the same thing in order to protect him. The only difference had been I loved him. I still loved him. Though hate was making a huge play at trying to trump that love. I never could quite understand how he could say he could never hate me as much as he loved me—he was doing a really good job of proving the opposite of that.
A knock sounded at the door.
Ignoring it, I put the pillow across my face and groaned.
“Mo.” Mil stepped into the room. I could hear footsteps, ah she probably brought Trace with her. Fabulous. Both of them present to witness my inability to lift my head high enough to eat breakfast or walk down the hall.
“Get up!” Mil slapped my butt.
Trace sat on the other side of the bed and gave me a concerned look. “You need to shower.”
“I’ll shower when I’m ready.” Which was never, but they didn’t need to know that. I still had his smell on me, I wanted to keep it that way. Visions of us together plagued my sleep until finally I just gave up and stared at the ceiling as images of Tex’s smile flashed through my mind.
Trace sighed and lay down next to me. “Remember when I first came to Eagle Elite?”
I almost laughed out loud. Yeah I remembered, she was an absolute train wreck that girl. “Nixon was a complete ass to you, and I’m pretty sure Tex and Phoenix flipped you off to say hello, and don’t even get me started on Chase.”
“Chase was the nicest,” Trace defended. “Good job catching that one, Mil.”
“He’s my prize bass.” Mil lay down on my other side.
“I’m sure he’d be happy to be compared to an ugly fish.” I said dryly, knowing Chase was way more vain than any of them gave him credit for, then again, it was for good reason. Not that I would admit that out loud. My eyes had always been for Tex.
No more.
“You saved me,” Trace whispered. “I remember thinking you were insane.” She chuckled. “But you were so strong, I mean you even stood up to Nixon, all I kept thinking was that I admired the person you were, wanted to have that type of confidence, you know?”
I fought the tears clogging my throat, making it impossible to breathe normally.
Trace kept talking. “When the guys bullied me, you made them stop, when Nixon fed me tofu, you got after him, and when I found out all the dirty little secrets you were never afraid, just accepted things and moved on with your head held high.”
“I was a different girl then,” I whispered hoarsely.
“Don’t be.” Trace reached for my hand and held it tight. “Don’t let others change the person you’ve always been. So your heart’s broken…”
I snorted wanting the conversation to end.
“So your life’s a mess.” Mil added.
“Are you guys trying to make me suicidal?”
Trace sighed. “So Tex is an ass.”
“Truth.” Mil agreed.
“So.” Trace squeezed my hand tighter. “What’s Mo Abandonato gonna do about it?”
“Lie in bed until I die alone?” I offered.
“Try again.” Trace pinched me.
“Ouch!” I pulled away. “That hurt!”
“What are you going to do about it?” Her voice was stern as her eyes flashed. “When have you ever let the guys tell you how to live your life or what to do? Didn’t you have enough of that with your dad?”
I reared back as if slapped. The woman knew too much. “This is different.”
“The hell it is.” Mil pushed up from the bed and crossed her arms. “I’m the head of a Family too. Tex is allowing them to pull the strings on purpose… haven’t you been watching? Sergio’s reaction to Tex? Phoenix’s reaction to Sergio? Luca? Something isn’t right.”
“So what? We go all spy on their asses?” My eyes started to water with tears. “Guys, I’m done. I’m exhausted, my heart hurts… this is bigger than us. We can’t just go all Harriet the Spy on them and then solve the War of the Families.”
Trace tilted her head in amusement. “We aren’t solving anything.”
“Guys, thanks for stopping by but I think I’ll stay right here.”
“Tell her.” Trace nodded to Mil.
Mil pulled out her phone and pressed play. Tex’s voice immediately came into focus. “We stage a coup. We overthrow, make a big scene in front of The Commission.” He paused. “You’re talking about suicide, does anyone even know about this?”
“Luca invited Alfonso,” Phoenix whispered. “You have to shoot him, there has to be a body count and it has to be bloody.”
“I can do bloody.”
“You’ll have to hurt those you love… push them away for now, it will make it easier, you can’t hesitate, it has to be real, Tex, do you get what I’m saying?”
“Does Luca know about this?”
“You know about this, I know about this, Luca and Sergio…” Phoenix swore. “Either they set me up to fail or they’re testing me, not that it matters, I’m doing the right thing. This time, I’m doing the right thing.”
“Horrible.” Tex sighed. “When death is the only way to do right.”
“Memorize the names, memorize the photos, you won’t have a lot of time to react Tex. Remember, this is life or death.”
The recording stopped.
Dumbfounded I stared at Mil and then Trace. “What does that mean?”
“We have a few theories.” Mil cleared her throat. “I haven’t shared it with anyone. I mean, I’m not an idiot. I love my brother, but my trust? It doesn’t stretch that far, I’ve been tailing him, or my men have been tailing him. I just… I don’t know Mo, when I told Trace, she said I should come to you. It’s possible that things with Tex, aren’t exactly what they seem.”
“And if they are?” I asked the question they both were too afraid to whisper out loud, knowing that if it was true, he was lost to me for forever.
“Then,” Mil said, shrugging, “he really does kill everyone, turns to the dark side, marries some Nicolasi bitch with a giant hairy mole on her face and buck teeth, and we order a hit on her and make it look like an accident.”
I laughed. Laughed for the first time in what felt like forever as Mil looked at me as if she was dead serious. I loved that girl. Just… loved her. “You get scarier the longer you’re married to Chase.”
“He’s a really bad influence.” Mil nodded, eyes wide. “So much violence in one body, impressive really.”
“Gross.” Trace held up her hands. “No more details.” She turned to me. “So you gonna sit and pout all day or can we lure you out of the bedroom with talks of coffee and homemade cinnamon rolls?”
I perked up. “Chase baked this morning?”
“Chase bakes when he’s stressed.” Mil nodded. “Or not getting any.”
Trace groaned in her hands.
Mil threw up her arms. “I was tired! Last night was draining, I said no, sue me, at least you get rolls out of it.”
“We all win.” I nodded triumphantly. “Thank you for your sacrifice, Mil.”
“Welcome.” She grinned and pulled me in for a hug. Trace wrapped her arms around both of us.
“It will be okay,” Trace said. “I promise.”
“I hope you’re right.” I frowned. “I really do.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
When you don’t get your way… tail a person and find out the truth.
Sergio
I
TRIED TO HIDE
the surprise on my face when Mo walked into the kitchen smiling. Chase’s mouth dropped open; apparently I wasn’t the only one shocked. Nixon kicked him under the table.
We all stared at the table, me at my coffee and then back up at Mo as she took a roll from the pan Chase just pulled from the oven, and stuffed it in her mouth.
Tex marched into the kitchen.
I shifted uncomfortably. Damn it was like watching a TV show. He stepped around Mo, careful not to touch her, poured himself a cup of coffee then came over and sat with us at the table.
Bee soon followed.
And then Phoenix.
I almost choked on my own roll when in silence, everyone continued eating their meal as if last night hadn’t been complete and utter chaos.
“Next week is Christmas,” Nixon announced not looking up from his paper. “Chase you making Lasagna?”
“You know it.” Chase lifted his roll into the air and took a large bite out of it, moaning as he chewed.
“Tex, you wanna help put up decorations, I think you should still be here… or are they shipping you off to Sicily right after The Commission?”
Nixon was officially fishing for information in the most upfront way I’d ever seen a man fish.
I leaned forward, noting how Phoenix did the same thing, both of us waiting for Tex’s answer, both for different reasons. I was told to let the chips fall and I hated that I was putting faith in two men I really didn’t like all that much.
Tex gave a non-committal shrug “Like they could ever tell me when or how I should leave.” He smirked. “I can easily decorate your giant ass house Nixon… eyes closed.”
Nixon chuckled and held up his coffee. “Well I would hate to break tradition. You know how Chase likes to pretend he’s helping when really he’s freezing his nuts off.”
“It’s masculine,” Chase piped up. “Nailing shit to the house.”
Mil rolled her eyes.
“So it’s settled.” Nixon set his coffee down, it clattered against the table. “The Family will all be together for Christmas. Breathing, alive, celebrating?” His eyes met Tex’s.
Without as much as a flinch, Tex lifted his coffee into the air and smiled. “Of course, wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I almost groaned and dropped my head to the table allowing it to bang a few times just so I felt the pain.
What. The. Hell. Was Luca thinking? We’d be lucky to survive that long.
Four more days until The Commission and things weren’t looking better. Campisi’s clan would be there, not just Alfonso but all of them, Luca had made sure of it with his ridiculous invitation through Phoenix, which meant only one thing.
Either Alfonso survived or Tex survived.
Either way one of them would have to make an example out of the rest of the families in order to stay in power. The
Cappo di Cappo
didn’t do small and if Tex truly wanted to see another Christmas, he was going to have to put on the show of a lifetime.
Luca had said to trust them.
I trusted no one but myself.
I had no choice but to drink my coffee and pretend to be ignorant of every side of the situation.
The girls easily fell into conversation with each other—everyone but Mo.
“So?” Bee directed her attention to Mo. “You think you can help me?”
“I’m sorry, what?” Mo licked her lips and shook her head. “Sorry, I’m tired.”
“Shooting.” Bee grinned happily. “Trace and Mil said they’d teach me, can you help?”
“Uh… sure.” Mo set her coffee down. “That would be fun.” When she reached for her coffee again it was at the exact moment Tex reached for another roll.
Their hands collided.
Awkward would be an understatement.
I decided to make it worse. Mainly because I could, and because after looking at the way Mo stared at Tex, I knew. She’d never be for me. I wasn’t him, it was as simple as that.
Didn’t mean I couldn’t at least get in a good jab so he realized what a complete and utter ass he was. “So the girl you’re going to shack up with.” I cleared my throat. “You see her picture yet? Rumor has it Nicolasi girls are really… bendy.”
Mo’s face paled as Tex pushed back his seat and stood. “I couldn’t care less.”
“Well,” I kept poking, “You are going to marry her, I mean the contract’s been drawn up, and you’d be an idiot not to take the protection of the only family still in Sicily… right?”
He closed his eyes briefly before a cruel smile plastered across his face. Phoenix nodded his head to Tex and returned his attention to the paper.
“It only makes sense.” Tex puffed out his chest. “The
Cappo di Cappo
marrying the Nicolasi clan, just think… we’d be unstoppable. Hell, the Alferos, De Langes, and Abandonatos combined couldn’t out buy us, out weapon us, or stop us. I’m thinking…” He nodded and offered another smirk around the table as he walked into the kitchen. “I’m thinking it sounds good. Damn good, after all what type of leader would I be if I wasn’t fully invested in all that power?”
Nixon clenched his teeth while Chase gripped his coffee cup so hard it almost splintered into his hands.
Phoenix, however, appeared indifferent.
“Good call,” I finally said. “Abandoning the family that raised you in order to join the devil… how… typical of a Campisi.”
Tex froze and then slowly turned his murderous gaze on me. I had the sudden urge to jump out of my seat and run. Like a complete coward. “They say a boss always has to order a first hit, Sergio. Don’t make me an enemy, you don’t want to know the pain I could bring you. The suffering, the absolute entertainment I’d feel at strangling you with my bare hands.”
With that he walked off.
Chase let out a whistle and set down the paper. “Happy Sunday.”
“God’s day.” Nixon added.
“I’ve got some prayer beads if you need them, Sergio.” Chase nodded. “You know, just in case.”
I rolled my eyes and leaned back in my chair.
What was Tex doing?
And why was Phoenix okay with it?
Hell, even if I did end up dead, I’d be okay with the situation as long as it was handled in a way that protected the family. What a completely morbid thought.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
The Mafia by definition should say. “Happy Endings die here.”
Tex
I
HAD TO ADMIT,
watching Sergio’s shit-eating grin fall from his face as he turned the color of a ghost was probably the highlight of my week, maybe even my month.
With a grunt I punched the bag harder. I needed a way to get out my aggression, and sitting at the table with Mo, pretending not to care when she was staring into her coffee like it held the secrets to the world? Hardest damn thing I’d ever done.
Damn contract. I barreled my fist into the punching bag.
Damn Luca. Two roundhouse kicks. Another punch.