For Adriano (15 page)

“And on top of that, I have some unfinished business – the reason why I was on the run initially – for which I need their help,” I add.

“Are you in trouble?”

“Not really. A friend of mine is being held hostage.”

She sets her mug down. “Are they going to help you?”

“They’ll discuss it today, and I hope James will have positive news for me tonight. I can’t continue my life without helping my friend.”

“Okay... Be careful, and don’t try to take care of it on your own. Allow them to help you.” She pauses to drink her tea. “We’ve been so worried about you. Especially James and Adriano. What’s with Adriano today? I thought he’d be in a better mood since you’re back.”

“You can’t tell anyone else,” I warn before I reveal the truth.

“Who would I tell? My book characters?” she mocks.

“Luca?” She could tell Luca.

“If it concerns Adriano, chances are, Luca already knows. You do know those two are like brothers?”

“I’m starting to understand that. Adriano found out something that happened while I worked for them.”

“What did you do?” Fallon casts me a curiously amused look.

“I slept with Damian once.”

She flinches in disgust. “Why? And while you were with Adriano?”

“I was never
with
Adriano; we never even defined our screwed up relationship. Well, he didn’t discuss our relationship.”

“But there’s been something between you two since the start. Everyone knows that.” She makes another face. “I hate that Damian.”

“Why?”

“He was the one who took me to the house. And I just don’t like him. Thankfully, I never see him.”

“Well, I was hurt because it was after I kind of told Adriano that I loved him, and he blatantly ignored the love part and told me he’d never be with me. And that led to me getting drunk and being stupid. And Damian apparently told Adriano. I don’t know how long ago Adriano found out, but I’m guessing recently, because he’s enraged. He saw me talking to Damian at the house and blew up, ordering me not to speak to him and threatening him.”

“Really…? He’s usually very self-controlled.”

“That’s why I need him to cool off before we talk.”

“What ever happened between you and him?”

“I fell hard for him. I still feel our bond thrumming through my veins. When I saw him yesterday, we’d only been alone for five minutes and couldn’t keep our hands off each other. After nine months apart, I still felt the power he has over me. It’s something irreplaceable. We were friends, lovers. But both of us were exploring new territory without wanting to shake our past. And that led to an unstable situation.”

These feelings we weren’t ready for eventually made us spiteful. And he was even worse in handling them than I was. I’ve felt cursed for so long in my connection to Adriano. However, I can no longer shove that to the bottom of my soul.

“You two definitely need to talk,” Fallon agrees.

“I know.” I sigh, and she doesn’t give me time to dwell.

“We have a lot to do. You need clothes. I have some apartment listings we should go through.”

“I need everything. I don’t even have toiletries.” I slide my bag over the granite top and rummage through it. “And I only have two twenty dollar bills. I need a job.”

Fallon seems tentative to speak. “I’ve been given money to give to you, Cam. It’s from James. You really don’t need to worry about everything all at once. Let’s get you settled, and please accept James’s money. It’s your family money.”

Realizing she makes a good point, I accept it. “Okay. I don’t even want to think about everything right now, anyway. I’m still processing information.” My first priority is helping Santino.

“Let’s go then and cross the simple things off your list.” She walks to the couch and steps into her nude heels.

“Where are we going?”

“Shopping,” Fallon replies, and I groan in discontent, making Fallon whirl around. “Do you hate shopping?” she asks, hopeful.

“I do. I just want to go to one store and get everything.”

“I’m so glad you said that because that’s what I do too. We’re going to one department store and getting you all the toiletries, clothes, and shoes you need for the next few weeks.”

I feel better than I have in ages. But there’s constantly that voice weighing me down, whispering that I left someone behind who’s possibly being tortured right this minute while I walk as a free woman here in the Loop.

CHAPTER 16

Adriano

I close the door to Luca’s Maserati, and we set off toward Security Simplicity.

That didn’t go well. I can’t get a moment alone with her, and my first attempt was undermined by Damian’s presence. Unable to control myself, I risked everything because of jealous rage. However, she’s correct. We do need to talk or else I’m going to burst from these mixed emotions I’m experiencing after having her back in my life for just one day. Her presence is calming, yet infuriating. I want her with a need that’s unequaled by any woman I’ve ever met in my entire life. But I also want to shake her with that same need for letting another man touch her.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I can’t endanger my position as
Capo
and bring James’s wrath down on me. I’ve worked too damn hard to achieve this position. I’ve killed too many men to lose it over this compulsive need for Cam.

Her story was excruciating to hear. I saw the tears welling in her eyes as she conveyed her memories of her confinement at the underground fight club. I watched her with admiration and pain. I’d warned James to be prepared for her sordid story, but I was the one least in control. I can’t believe she went through all that and managed to keep it from me for so long. She just confessed to being abused by Mafia men. We would never allow anyone to get away with hurting one of our own. We’ll claim vengeance.

She’s unbelievably strong, and I have no idea how she coped with it, but it seems that, above all, she mostly wants to help this Santino.

Luca, who’s apparently also pondering Santino, asks, “What do you think about her wish to help Santino? Didn’t we meet him at Club 7 the first time we saw Sal?”

“She’s holding something back. I can guarantee that; I know her. And we did meet Santino at Club 7. He’s the one who told us she worked at the fight club.”

“Her story was...” He searches for words. “…horrible.”

“It was. But I think more happened with Santino. I wonder if it crossed her mind that she was addicted to the drugs
we
supply that club.”

“That was also my thought when James started to explain who we are.” Luca brakes suddenly when the car in front of us stops abruptly. “I bet you and James have a lot to discuss. I predict he’ll turn to you to exact revenge.”

“We’ll see,” I say distractedly as we pass Cam’s favorite Italian restaurant in the Loop. “I need to find out the entire story.”

“Fish for more information; she trusts you the most out of any of us.”

After a silence where Luca’s watching the road with icy green eyes, I know he wants to ask what happened at the strip club with Damian and Cam.

I brace my neck, rubbing the tension. “Don’t start.”

“No can do,
amico
.” He switches lanes. “What happened to make you go off on Damian?”

“She slept with him.”

His faces me for a second and then turns back to the road. “When?”

“I don’t know any details. I heard about it yesterday.”

“I see... And clearly you haven’t dealt with this yet?”

“How
do
I deal with it? I fucking hate it and want to punch Damian’s face repeatedly. And the thing is, I can’t really be mad at Cam because I never gave her an ounce of commitment. But still, she shouldn’t have.”

“Didn’t you fuck around too?” Luca chides with a smirk.

“You all assume I just fuck around with everyone.”

“Didn’t you? You did before you met Cam.”

“I didn’t,” I defend. “Not while she was in my life.”

“You were always flirting, saying things,” Luca explains without judgment.

“When I say those things, I’m joking around. You take me way too seriously. That’s just harmless flirting. I never slept with anyone else while Cam worked for us.”

“I believe you; I just never understood the nature of your relationship with Cam. Look, I’d be angry too, but make sure you get the whole story or, at least, get your facts straight before you accuse anyone. Apart from that, what’s your plan with her? James is already displeased with how much she relies on you. He’ll never accept her being with his
Capo
.” He glances at me expressively. “I’m not so sure I like it either. You heard her story; she’s resilient, yes, but also damaged. She needs to rebuild her life, heal. She’s our family now. Our responsibility. And you will treat her with respect.”

Someone’s overprotective. I lift a brow and look at him.

“We have to take care of her. As a family,” he emphasizes. “Are you ready to give up everything to pursue her?”

“No,” I answer honestly.

“Then talk to her. Both of you speak your mind and then make her focus on rebuilding her life. She’s obviously not aware of the fact that it’s against the rules for a
Capo
to date a family member against the boss’s wishes.”

We round the corner of the street, to the skyscraper where Security Simplicity rents a floor.

“No, she isn’t aware of it. She needs some time to grasp everything. A lot of information is coming at her right now. If I break the truth to her, I’ll hurt her. And with my current frame of mind, I’ll hurt her badly, and I don’t want that. Well, I do a little because she slept with Damian.”

“You don’t want her, but you don’t want anyone else to want her either,” Luca accuses.

I snort because he’s wrong. “I want her. Trust me, I want her. That’s the problem here.”

“Think with your head and not with your dick,” he says blandly.

“That’s difficult when it comes to Cam.”

“Give it a try,” he throws back as he puts the car in ‘park’ in his designated spot. “Now let’s hear what Jeffrey has to say. Then we’ll meet James and Salvatore again to form a plan about how to handle Fat Sal.”

***

The three directors are all present when we arrive at the meeting.

Luca and I, impatient as always, demand to know the status of the financial health of our company.

“What did you find, Jeffrey? Luca is up to date,” I inform as Luca and I both sit down across from the three men.

“One point seven million in total is unaccounted for in the last four weeks,” he replies with remorse.

“How did this go unnoticed until now?” Luca’s tone is unruffled while my blood is already overheating about this major screw up.

Jeffrey holds his ground under our glares. “I traced it back to six digital amounts you announced, which were processed in the books, but the drug money never came in to Finance. One million was supposed to come in last weekend – that’s why Accounting only noticed now. We always have a delay because you have me draw up papers in advance of your actual deals. Just the one million is actually missing right now since the remaining seven hundred thousand will come in in the next two weeks.”

Our cash line is simple. Luca and I know what our drug profits are monthly, and we get a cut of that cash from Salvatore to invest into Security Simplicity – fake orders and contracts are drawn up to liquidate the Syndicate’s drug money into the legal money of this company.

Luca and I share a speaking glance. We’ll have to discuss this with
Consigliere Salvatore
and the
Capi
, who handle the physical transportation of the money.

I point to the manila envelope on the table. “Are those the numbers?”

“Yes.”

I slide it to me with my finger on the edge. “The only hard copy?”

“Yes.”

He knows we only allow one hard copy of these kinds of reports. We read it, discuss it, and shred it. We never leave paper trails with any data that can be traced back to the Syndicate.

“No one knows except us five?” Luca asks.

“Only we know,” Jeffrey confirms.

“Continue as usual,” I order, wanting to leave right away to contact Salvatore for an explanation. “Luca or I will keep you updated when needed. Any more inconsistencies are to be reported to me or Luca.”

All three men nod before Luca and I return to the car.

“Contact Salvatore to meet us at
Francitalia
within an hour. I’m calling James,” Luca instructs as he holds his phone against his ear.

***

We set up a meeting at
Francitalia
, a restaurant in the Loop that’s owned by an associate of the Syndicate. We can convene there; it’s one of our secure places in Chicago, because we can’t always meet in the middle of the day at headquarters – we don’t want to keep driving up north all the time.

James and Salvatore arrive half an hour after us. Settled at a table near the window with the bright sunlight almost blinding us, we cut to the chase.

James starts with his most pressing matter. “Camilla is my first concern now. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that I want to know everything about Club 7. This will be dealt with according to Syndicate rules. My daughter has been violated.” He’s focused mostly on me while he voices his animosity.

“Apart from Cam, we have other problems.” Luca removes his suit jacket.

I add, “Our update is not good news.”

And Luca continues, “One point seven million dollars in cash never made it to Security Simplicity. Salvatore, Jeffrey said one million was supposed to come in last weekend?”

He looks surprised. “I don’t have any inconsistencies in my books nor have I heard anything from any soldier or
Capi
. How’s this possible?”

“I haven’t had any problems reported to me either,” I inform them.

“What exactly did Jeffrey say?” Salvatore asks.

Luca throws the folded envelope onto the table. “He didn’t have to say much. There’s the proof. The money never reached SS.”

“You need to check the numbers and find out which deals it involved so that you can give me names of the soldiers we need to question,” I explain.

Salvatore takes the envelope. “I’ll do it right after I’ve taken care of Camilla’s papers.”

“Good,” James says to Salvatore. “Call Luca and Adriano the second you have the names.” He then addresses us, “What are you going to do about Sal’s first soldier we have captive in the warehouse?”

“I still want to interrogate him about Cam. Let’s see if the stories match up. Although I believe Cam has been forthcoming about it, it’s still good to verify,” I state, without revealing to James my suspicions regarding the Santino aspects.

“Especially now, since we obviously have enough other problems. It works in our favor that Sal doesn’t have his first soldier, and he’s probably torturing his own bodyguard, Santino – if he’s not already dead. At least Sal’s vulnerable. Until we figure out his interest in us, we still have the upper hand,” Luca finishes.

“That’s true,” James agrees and meets my eyes. “I’m unsure what to do about Cam’s desire to help this Santino.”

“She won’t let it go,” I forewarn.

“For now, I’ll stall her. I’m not doing anything until I know more about this guy.” James checks the time on his watch. “I have to leave. I’ll see you all tonight. Salvatore, I expect names of soldiers tonight.”

And we go our separate ways.

***

Luca and I stand before Christopher inside one of the cells in the warehouse.

We left him in here, standing up and cuffed to the overhead bar that hangs from wall to wall, since last night. The cut on his hand has been sheathed in gauze, and Damian gave him water and food. Luca’s given Damian orders elsewhere, knowing I’ll kill him if I see him before I’ve found some tranquility in my intrinsic storm.

In a rush because we have to attend dinner tonight at James and Alessa’s house in Lincoln Park, I demand, “What do you know about the time that Camilla worked at the fight club?”

Sweat covers his temples, and he has trouble holding his head up while Luca and I stand patiently next to each other, and he says nothing.

I turn to Luca and comment cynically, “We really don’t have time for this.”

Luca looks to Christopher and shakes his head.

We take a step back, then I reach for my handgun from my ankle holster and point it at his dick.

Christopher struggles and protests, “I’m a first soldier! You can’t shoot me.”

“I can do whatever I want; I’m the Chicago Syndicate,” I retort and grin when he recognizes our organization. “I’ll let you go if you give me answers about Camilla. That’s all I want to know.”

His labored breath becomes more restless. “What do you want to know?”

“How long was she in the fight club?” I ask and hold back my gun, target averted from him.

“A couple of months,” he replies tersely.

“Why was she there?”

“I’m sure you know.” He hangs more and more from the bar for support.

This is a strong soldier. He’s holding up well under duress.