Bellissimo Fortuna (Beautiful Fortune) (10 page)

I climb in the car and before I can put my seatbelt on, my father hits the gas so hard I smash against the headrest, and before I could gain my bearings he slams on the brakes at the intersection, causing me to be thrown forward and hit my head on the dashboard. Crying out only angered him.

“Stupid girl. You should’ve had your seatbelt on.”

“I didn’t have time.” I felt his hand across my cheek before I even saw it. Not hard enough to bruise, but it most definitely stings.

“Don’t talk back. It’s not respectful.” I keep my mouth shut and my eyes down the rest of the ride. Making my way inside, I go right to the freezer for an ice pack for my cheek. I don’t need any swelling tomorrow when Bronson stops by. It was a situation that I have kept hidden as much as I could, but I can’t have him involved.

When I step out of the shower, I hear people yelling. I can distinctly hear my father, and I think Marco. I hurriedly put on clothes and edge my way down the hallway. My father’s voice is menacing. “I don’t care what you want, Marco. I threw your name in last night at the meeting, wanting you vetted to become a made-man, and they both shot me down. I tried to broach the subject again at dinner and it was still a no-go. Now you keep asking me the same damn question, you have me on edge and if I propose it again, there will be suspicions.”

“This isn’t what we agreed to, Frank.” I hear the breaking of glass.

“Show some respect, Marco. You may be a friend now, but it won’t take much for you to be an enemy. We’ll keep to the plan.”

“The two year plan? You expect me to do your dirty work for that long? You’re out of your mind.” The wall I am leaning against vibrates with such force the pictures rattle.

“I can kill you and not raise an inkling of curiosity. We stick to the plan.” I peek around the corner and my dad has Marco against the wall by his neck.

“Yes sir.” I race back to my room, shutting and locking the door. I wish I was with Bronson and Bianca tonight. I don’t know what my father is planning, but I know it can’t be good. In one more year I will be in college, Bronson will be finishing his Bachelor’s degree, and the choices are wide open. I just know I don’t want to be around for his plan to come to fruition.

Needing to hear Bronson’s voice, I dial his number. As soon as he picks up my heart rate settles.

“Hey babe. Everything okay?”

“I don’t only call you when something is wrong. Just wanted to tell you I love you.”

“I love you. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay. Sweet dreams.”

“When they consist of you Callie, they aren’t sweet.” When his voice drops like that, with a twinge of sexiness, I want to kick my own ass that I’m not ready for sex. I know we are the real deal, but I feel that will cement us and no matter what he won’t leave me, and I want him to have all his options open when he goes to college. If we were to break up, and I had given him that, I wouldn’t recover. Although, I am not sure I would recover anyway.

Chapter 10

Bronson

This summer has been rough. Not only am I leaving for college, Frank Locati has been a pain in my ass. Every year, for as long as I can remember, he has never cared about her being at my house, but since graduation he’s had her on a short leash. She is more reserved, always skirting the issue when I ask her what’s wrong. I know he isn’t happy with us being together, I just haven’t figured out why. His place in the family is secure, and my plans have been made known.

After traveling to Miami to the recruitment center, I couldn’t let go of my dream. There were several options open to me, and instead I changed the path of my future. Instead of being a Special Agent in the DEA I decided on Forensic Sciences. I will be combatting scientifically sophisticated illicit drug manufacturers and working with the agents with intelligence on them. I will not be a direct opponent in my father’s organization, and I will still feel like I’m doing something worthwhile. I talked to my mentor at length and explained my situation; let him know I’m not interested in being used for information on my family’s crimes. He already knows about our family and who we are as he is my godmother’s brother. I am going to take the Special Agent training with Dakota the summer after we finish college, but then I will work out of the Miami field office.

Callie’s excited and doesn’t seem discouraged that she’ll have to transfer after her freshman year to be with me, so I tell her I will research everything.

“No. It’s my education. I’ll figure out which college I’ll go to.” Her stubbornness is a new side to her personality. She is growing by leaps and bounds. I still keep a close watch on her food intake and stress level, but so far, with medication her ulcer is controlled.

“It’s
our
future, Callie. We’re having to relocate because of me. I’m just trying to help you out.”

“I’ve got this.” I relent and let her do this on her own. Of course I will have my own research files for back up in case she needs help.

The conversation with my dad went better than I hoped. I was timid when broaching the subject because I never want him to think I will choose a career over him. I know he’ll always stand behind me but I didn’t want that divide between us. He promises he is trying to get out of the drug business. It is only a small fraction of the business they do, so it won’t hurt them at all. Even if they get out of drugs, I can’t become a special agent as the other ties to other families. It can create discord so I compromise and feel good about it.

“Are you excited?” I hate hearing the sadness in her voice. She is putting on a brave front for me, but if she is hurting half as much as I am, then I know it’s killing her.

I zip my suitcase and throw it on the floor so I can pull her in my lap. “Hey, it’s only a couple hours away. I’ll either be doing school work or talking to you. Besides, we still have this weekend. I’m glad your dad relented and let you come.”

“You can thank Luis for that. He was against it until the meeting the other night.” I know he wasn’t pleased, but instead of pissing off the Consigliere of the family, he allowed her to take me to school and spend the weekend with the rest of the family. It won’t afford us a lot of time alone but I just want to be with her as long as possible. This next year will be the most trying for us as a couple and as individuals. We will have to learn to not be so dependent on one another, or more like her not being available to me every time I need her. I know we will be fine, but I worry about her handling the stress of my absence.

“Promise me you’ll take care of yourself during the week? Take your medicine, don’t forget to eat, and call me anytime you need me.” I wait for her nod of approval before scooping her up in my arms and twirling her around. Her laughter fills my ears, a melody I have memorized and plan to pull from my mind as much as I can. Her happiness is all I strive for.

“Yes, Dad.” I know she is trying to be humorous, but that isn’t funny.

“Never, Callie. Don’t compare me to him. Even joking.” I know my tone is harsh, but this is one time I don’t bother to apologize or soothe her. I guess you could say that’s a hard limit for me, and she needs to know.

“Sorry.” I know she is. I can see it with the wetness in her eyes and hear it with the tremor in her voice. I don’t respond and just take her mouth in mine and let her pour her apology into it. Our connection is like a salve that can heal the most gruesome of wounds.

Saying goodbye to her was hard, the weekend passed much too quickly and the only thing that was keeping me sane was that she has my sister with her. I asked Luis to keep his ear to the ground; something was off with Marco and Frank. I could see the fear in her eyes each time I picked her up after she was alone with them for any length of time. I know she’s keeping something from me, but she swears she isn’t. She has to open up to me if we’re going to grow. I made a promise to both of us that it would work.

My course load is harder than I expect, all the extra chemistry classes I had to take are slowly killing me. I missed Callie’s eighteenth birthday and my weekends home aren’t as frequent as I hoped for. Her dad is still making it hard on her and not allowing her to come visit me. Luckily, the semester is over, and we’ll have almost three weeks together for winter break. I don’t even go by my house to drop my stuff off, but instead I park outside her school and wait on the steps to surprise her.

I see her coming down the hallway, and the second she spots me, she runs towards me. I catch her effortlessly in my arms and just hold her close. It’s been too long since I’ve felt her in my arms, smelled her shampoo. Right now I’m home. “Miss me?”

“So much. Why didn’t you tell me you were getting in so early?”

“Wanted to surprise you. Were you riding with Binks?” I look around for my sister.

Her head bobs down, and she doesn’t answer me for a minute. “No, my dad has stopped that, and he won’t let me drive myself.”

“So how are you getting to and from school?”

“Umm . . . well.”

“Callie.”

“If my dad can he takes me or picks me up. If not, he lets one of the men.”

“Part of the family?”

“Sometimes. Not always.” I can see she is struggling with this, and I am not handling this well. Allowing his daughter to be put in situations like this is unforgiveable. These men have no loyalty, that’s why they haven’t been promoted or made. They are not to be trusted with someone I hold so valuable.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I don’t mean to shout, but it bursts out of me. None of this is her fault, and she isn’t happy about it. She’s been hiding it because she knew how I’d react. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“You’ve had so much work. I didn’t want to add to your load. It’s okay, really. Binks waits for me before school, and she always follows me home if my dad isn’t driving.” I need to buy my sister whatever the hell she wants. If it worried her that much, then I knew some shady shit was going on.

“What else aren’t you telling me?”

“Can we talk later?” She looks around the hallway of the school; we have become a spectacle embracing in the hallway.

“You bet. Besides, I haven’t had my kiss yet.” I lift her up so she is level with my face and before I can
initiate
the contact, she all but devours me. Her tongue seeks entrance in my mouth, and I allow it. Dueling, sliding, mimicking my every action she owns this kiss. I feel so much; her love, her anxiety, her sadness . . . it is all speaking to me through her lips on mine. I have to get in her head, get her to open up to me on this trip. I need to find out what else she is keeping from me and why.

Chapter 11

Callie

Avoiding things isn’t going to work. I may have been able to hide it while he was away at school, but now he’s home and demanding answers.

“How long has he been demanding you ride with him or the other guys?”

“It started right before Thanksgiving.”

“Why didn’t you tell me when I was home?” I know he is beating himself up for not noticing, but in his defense, he came home after school had let out for that break. It was easy to hide it.

“I didn’t want to add to your load.” He was so overwhelmed when he was home. Trying to fit time in for us and act like he wasn’t crumbling under the pressure. Every time he had an extra moment, he was studying and was barely sleeping.

“Callie, you need to tell me this stuff.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.” Now I am lying to him. It freaks me the fuck out and scares me shitless when I have to be alone with Marco or his sidekick, Jensen. I had to allow Bianca to be the snoop patrol and follow me home just to get her to agree not to tell her brother.

His eyes bore into me. “Bullshit. If it was no big deal, my sister wouldn’t be following you home, and you wouldn’t have kept it from me. You’ve got to stop hiding this shit from me, Callie.” His frustration with me is growing, but I can’t change the situation.

“Sure, Bronson. While you’re away, preparing for your future, our future, I’ll just bore and worry you to death with the mundane comings and goings of my day. If that doesn’t say needy girlfriend I don’t know what does. I am capable of making a decision on my own. I take precautions around the other guys. Excuse me for putting you first.” I’m also at my breaking point. I’ve missed him, I hate my home life, and I feel like he is angry with me for situations I have no control over.