Enrage Page 24

  Resented.

  Despised.

  Feared.

  Revered.

  I took a deep breath and followed the men in, and was stopped by Frank, by the killer of my ex-husband.

  By the former boss of the Alferos.

  “He did the right thing,” Frank whispered in a solemn voice. “This is his path, this should have been his father’s path, he is making right what I made wrong. It is my fault. And I will carry that burden all the way to my grave until I can see my brother again and apologize, until I can see Dante’s mother and kiss her face—” He shook his head at the house. “This life it is hard, but we make up for it. We laugh hard. We drink hard. We work hard. We live hard, and in the end, isn’t that what every human wants? An existence where they can close their eyes every night and know that if God took them — they did life well.”

  I blinked up at him. “I never thought of it that way.”

  “Eh, the mafia, makes you think of a lot of gray areas, there is no black and white in life don’t let anyone tell you any different. No straight lines. No rules. Life is life, it is up to us to decide how well we live what’s been given to us.”

  I hung my head.

  “No matter what happens, El,” Frank tilted my chin toward him. “You live hard. You live well.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He smirked. “I’m not that old, and I am Dante’s uncle, that makes you my niece now.”

  Family.

  I had family.

  Stunned I could only stare at him.

  “What? You did not make the calculations in that head of yours.” He wrapped an arm around me and led me toward the door. “Now, we drink, every last drop of Nixon’s wine. I take great pleasure in raiding his cellar.”

  I laughed at that. “I bet you do.”

  “Serves him right for seducing my granddaughter and giving me a great-granddaughter who’s so damn beautiful it brings tears to my eyes to see her pink face.” He sighed. “Did I ever tell you the story of how I almost shot Nixon in the face?”

  “Which time?” Tex called from inside the house.

  “Or the time when Nixon almost beat the shit out of Tex and shot him at point blank range,” Chase mused into his wine glass. “Best bedtime story ever, wish I had a picture of his face, oh wait,” he closed his eyes. “There it is!”

  Tex grumbled into his wine.

  And soon we were joined by all the wives.

  More bottles were opened in celebration.

  And when Mil came home late — again.

  Nobody said anything.

  She acted perfectly normal.

  Except for the fact that Chase watched her every move like a hawk and when he didn’t think anyone was looking, wiped a tear from his eye and walked off.

  CHAPTER SIXTY

  Dante

  THE RING FELT heavy on my hand the entire way to class. El joined me in bed later that night, she didn’t say anything, just held me.

  It’s what I needed.

  She was quiet again on the way to class, though she twisted my ring around my finger a few times like she was trying to figure out how much it weighed, how many sins it carried — if it would save us.

  “You’re protected completely,” I reassured her. “My name, my blood, our families, don’t let anyone give you shit today and if Andrei corners you—”

  “Dante,” she interrupted me with a blinding smile. “I’m fine, I promise, it’s just a lot to take in, you know?”

  I shuddered. “Tell me about it. They give you a fucking black folder with every single family secret the minute that ring hits your finger. I have half a mind to feel bad for Phoenix, the shit that guy knows.” I cringed. “I only have intel on my own contacts, the Alfero associates, and of course you.”

  I said too much.

  She looked down at her hands. “What’s my last name then?”

  I bit down on my lip. “Nicolasi-Alfero.”

  “My maiden name?”

  I didn’t answer.

  “Did your Father know? Who my family was? Where they were from?”

  “I don’t think you want to do this now, El.”

  “Tell me.” Her voice was weak. “Please, just… tell me. I need to hear you say it.”

  “You’re not Russian,” I finally said as we pulled through the gates of school.

  “I know that.”

  “You’re Italian.”

  “I suspected that.”

  With a sigh, I pulled into a parking spot and eyed her with concern. “It doesn’t matter who you were, what matters is who you are.”

  “Who was Papa, who were my parents? You guys have to know by now, if you all have black folders, I want to see mine.”

  “Hah!” I killed the ignition. “Trust me, you don’t.”

  “Dante—” She touched my forearm.

  “I didn’t know,” I didn’t mean to snap. “When we were at the ranch house, I had no idea, all right? It took Sergio and Phoenix working together and almost killing each other while we were gone — to figure it out.”

  “Figure what out?” her voice shook.

  “I told them you saw Luca,” I swallowed. “That he was there the day your parents died — it was the final missing piece.”

  Tears filled her eyes. “Say it.”

  “De Lange,” I muttered. “You’re a De Lange.”

  Her face fell as she sank back against her seat. “Phoenix’s family? Mil’s?”

  “Distant cousin,” I answered honestly. “Very far removed, so far removed that it was nearly impossible to find you once Xavier made it look like you died too. The trail stopped. But he took you, he kept you alive for his own sick reasons and because of that, you’re still a target. Not only were they supposed to wipe out every family member that was working with the Petrovs undercover — but they were supposed to kill the bloodline completely. Your papa isn’t really your papa, he was an associate for the Nicolasi family, he was under deep cover. He took you in, they fabricated a story — and he did the impossible.”

  Her eyes welled with tears. “He fell in love with a little girl who called him Papa because she couldn’t pronounce his name right. And he protected her until his dying breath.”

  Sobs wracked her body. I pulled her into my arms. “El,” I kissed her head. “I’ve got you, all right? I’ll kill them all for what they did, I’ll kill them, and whoever they love. I swear it.”

  “When will it be enough blood? Enough war?” She whispered through her tears.

  “When they’re dead,” I spoke the truth. “You’re a target but they can’t touch you, not as long as I’m alive—”

  “So stay alive,” she demanded her nostrils flared.

  “Aw, you’d miss me?”

  She scowled.

  “Now who’s scowling?”

  El sagged against my chest. “Thank you, for telling me.”

  “I wasn’t going to.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I swore to protect you and telling you doesn’t protect you, it makes you sad, angry, disappointed — I want to protect you from it all, El.”

  She gave me a sad smile. “That’s just it, you can’t.”

  “Let me try.” I promised. “I bet I could.”

  She cupped my face with her hand. “The arrogance is sexy.”

  I crushed her mouth with mine.

  She pulled away and groaned. “Do we really have to go to class?”

  “Until this is over with,” I sighed. “Absolutely, but the minute those pricks are dead I’m locking you in a bedroom and throwing away the key.”

  “Sounds nice.”

  “Keep looking at me like that and I’m going to have you naked and late for class.”

  She shrugged a shoulder.

  My eyes narrowed.

  And then she was slowly crawling into the backseat.

  “You’re serious?” I looked around like I was afraid of getting caught when I was already pulling myself free from my damn uniform.


  El winked, and crooked her finger, spreading her legs wide as I made my way to the backseat and lifted her skirt.

  “So we’ll be a couple minutes late,” she jerked me toward her with my shirt. “Worth it.”

  “God, I love marriage.” I kissed her again.

  And got lost in the moment.

  She might be a De Lange.

  From a hated family.

  From a family who, up until Mil, had no loyalty to anyone.

  But I’d given her my name.

  And now? She was mine.

  CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE

  El

  THE THING ABOUT the mafia? You know all the secrets, you know the darkness of the world and some punk kid sitting next to you in class is listening to Justin Bieber and complaining about the hamburger they just ate.

  You gain perspective on life when you’re in constant fear of losing it.

  I stiffened when Andrei came and sat down next to me.

  “I hear congratulations are in order.” He smirked and then leaned back in his chair while the professor talked about good communication in the work place. Useless, the information was useless.

  “Yup.” I didn’t look at him. I pretended to listen to the communication I needed to be having in a work force I wouldn’t be joining.

  “It would be a shame… for young love to die so quickly, hmm?”

  I froze.

  “Such a shame.” He shrugged. “I wonder what kind of monster he would turn into if I took everything that mattered from him? Just because I could?”

  “Why would you do that to someone who’s on your side?” I just had to ask.

  “Is he?” Andrei’s head tilted. “One chance, I give him one chance to prove it, and if he fails — well, I don’t think the story will be ending with and they lived happily ever after.”

  “You can trust him.”

  He snorted. “Just like I can trust you?”

  “I never said you could trust me, I’m a woman after all,” I said in a snarky tone.

  Andrei eyed me, I could feel his stare penetrate down to my bones. “I like my women quiet.”

  “Lucky them.”

  He gripped my left arm, his fingers digging into my flesh so hard I whimpered. “Give your man a message for me, will you?”

  He handed me another note. I eyed it and then him. “You gonna kill me if I read it.”

  “Yes.” He didn’t even blink.

  I nodded and shoved it into my messenger bag. “At least you’re honest.”

  “I have my days.” He winked like he was flirting with me when we both know he wouldn’t hesitate to end me.

  “Why did you come here? To Chicago?” I asked.

  He paused, a look of irritation crossed his features. “I don’t really think you’re in a position to ask me probing questions.”

  “Oh.” I frowned. “I just thought we were passing notes in class and making small talk, my bad.”

  I returned my attention to the professor.

  Andrei kept his voice low. “Not all of us are given the luxury of having endless amounts of money — at least endless amounts that aren’t frozen by the US government. So I got creative. Made new friends.”

  “Dangerous friends?” I guessed.

  “Stupid ones,” he fired back quickly. “Ones I can manipulate just like I do everyone and everything in this god forsaken universe.”

  I was too shocked he was even speaking to me about things like that to respond, I just nodded and glanced away.

  “If he double crosses me, I will kill him — I won’t kill you. I’ll tie you to my bed,” He caressed my arm. “I’ll tie each leg to a post so I can see you whenever I want, fuck you whenever it pleases me.” My lips trembled. “Yeah, I’d like that, maybe I’ll just maim him so he can watch…”

  I jerked free.

  He laughed and stood, then just walked right out of class like he was allowed to actually do it while the professor was mid communications speech.

  I breathed in and out.

  I counted the number of times my breath felt like it was getting caught in my lungs.

  And when class was over.

  I bolted toward the door. Exit. I needed an exit.

  And I needed Dante.

  He was already waiting for me.

  I launched myself into his arms and kissed down his neck then whispered in his ear. “He doesn’t trust you, not yet, do something scary.”

  I handed him the note.

  Dante looked down at it, smirked, and then grabbed my hand.

  We were moving fast.

  Too fast.

  People started to stare as Dante kept me pinned by his side.

  Andrei was outside, his minions next to him.

  They each looked pleased with themselves.

  Dante released my hand, kissed my forehead, and said, “Stay here.”

  “You get my note?” Andrei asked.

  “Didn’t read it.” Dante shrugged.

  Andrei’s smile fell. “You probably should.”

  “I’ll get there.” Dante pulled, his Glock from under his uniform and held it at his side. “Now, which one.”

  “Excuse me?” Andrei’s eyes narrowed to tiny slits.

  “Which one do you want me to kill.”

  Maksim made a choking noise and laughed.

  “Never mind, I’ll pick.” Dante pointed the gun at Maksim. “Your preference, foot, leg, arm, or chest?”

  “None.” Maksim clenched his teeth. A muscle worked in his jaw.

  Andrei folded his arms and grinned, then said. “Leg.”

  Dante fired off two shots into Maksim’s thigh. Both rounds skimmed the outside of his uniform, and he fell to his knees, screaming in pain.

  Dante put his gun away. “Touch her again and I’ll rip your tongue out. This isn’t about her. It’s about me making a name for myself with whoever the hell is willing to give it to me.” I noticed his ring wasn’t on anymore. “You don’t get to question her, you don’t get to scare her. She’s mine.”

  “Then put a fucking muzzle on her.” Andrei sneered. “She talks too much.”

  Dante’s hand shook at his side. “We doing this or not?”

  “The note.” Andrei nodded. “It goes down tomorrow. I hope you’re worth it, since you’ve shot one of my best men, I’ll need you on top of your game.”

  “I’ll make sure to wear red so they don’t see my blood.” Dante turned his back on him grabbed my arm and we walked off.

  I was shaking with terror.

  He seemed to be shaking with rage and adrenaline.

  Once we were out of ear shot, I reached up and touched his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  “I won’t be okay until I put a bullet between that piece of shit’s eyes.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He frowned down at me. “For what?”

  “I feel like this is my fa—”

  “I swear if the next word is fault I’m going back and shooting him, ending this right now.”

  “You know what I mean.” My shoulders slumped. “If I had died then—”

  “Then we would still be at war because that’s what happens when selfish pricks with no moral compass are given a gun and power, all right?

  I nodded and hung my head. “Okay.”

  He opened the note and read it. “It’s an address.”

  I sighed in relief. “That’s good, right?”

  “It’s either good or it’s a trap.”

  “Great,” I muttered.

  “Soon.” Dante kissed the top of my head, “This will be over with, soon.”

  CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

  Dante

  MIL WASN’T AT the house.

  The tracker we had on her said she was shopping.

  El was exhausted so I forced a nap on her.

  Which left me and Chase staring each other down, waiting for his wife to get home.

  He slid the wine bottle toward me. “You think this will work? Just out right asking her?”


  I shrugged. “We know she’s not really shopping. Maybe she’ll feel guilty enough to just tell you everything.”

  “You think I haven’t tried that every day?” He swiped the wine away from me and glared at it in disgust. “I can’t keep going on like this. Living with her knowing this is killing her — killing us. And the sick part is, I think she wants to tell me, I think she wants it to go away — and I’m terrified she knows the end — and refuses to involve any of us because of it.”

  I hadn’t thought of that.

  “What, like she’s protecting us?”

  Chase just shrugged.

  Mil walked in the door ten minutes later.

  No bags.

  “Shopping?” I asked, sarcasm dripping from my voice as I eyed her empty hands.

  “You would know, stalker.” She winked like it was funny, I shook my head and looked away, I hated liars, hated them.

  Chase stood. “Where you been Mil?”

  “Doesn’t matter, Chase.” She gave him a sad smile. “I already told you, none of it matters when I walk in these doors, just let me be your wife, not a boss.”

  “You agreed to be both,” he said sadly. “Let us help you.”

  She paled, and looked down at her hands, like they were stained with blood she refused to tell us about. “This is the part where I tell you, that you can’t go where I’m going, you can’t do what I’m doing. This is the part where I tell you I’m leaving you, Chase.” It was impossible to miss the tears filling her eyes right along with the raw fear behind them.

  Chase stumbled into his seat, and then shot out of it and charged her. “The hell you are!”

  Tears spilled over onto her cheeks. “I love you but—”

  “BUT?” He roared. “I give you my fucking heart and soul and you say you love me but?”

  Nixon jogged into the room, his right hand held a gun.

  Trace wasn’t far after him, her own gun in hand.

  Did everyone own a gun in this damn house?

  Realization hit Chase he glanced between Mil and Nixon. “It’s that bad.” He shook his head. “That you would leave me? Leave us?”

  “Look can’t this just be about me? And not the mafia?” She pleaded.

  “No!” we all said in unison.

  Mil glared in my direction. “Shouldn’t you be in school?”

  “I used to actually like you,” I said to nobody in general. “What the hell happened?”