Page 27 of Revenge of Sin

“What do you know about the deal your father made with Barcelo?”he asks.

The thought of my father, bloody and tortured beyond recovery, still holding out even under the torture that Barcelo inflicted causes my heart to squeeze.“Papa wouldn’t break.He wouldn’t give his estate to Barcelo once he knew what kind of man he was.Once he saw what he was capable of doing to me.”

Vincenzo’s eyes search mine.“So nothing to your knowledge was signed formally or even spoken about giving him rights?”

“No, but Barcelo said that it didn’t matter in the end.Papa had agreed on my marriage to Barcelo to combine the territories.”I shrug.“Barcelo was always going to get what he wanted.”

Tears come to my eyes, and I swipe them away.Never show emotion.Never let the enemy see your true feelings.Only I no longer know if Vincenzo is the enemy or my protector at this point because everything about the man and this entire situation is confusing as hell.

Vincenzo wipes the tears from my face with a finger.“Let your tears fall, princessa.It’s good for your soul.”

I swallow through the emotion at the back of my throat.“What would you know about what’s good for a person’s soul?Sometimes I feel like you’re the devil himself.”

He laughs out loud, and for some odd reason although the tears continue to flow, I find the sound calming.“Believe it or not, I am not the enemy, princessa.But you have to trust that I have your best interests at heart.”

Vincenzo dries the rest of my tears before taking my hand.“Come, I’ll show you around.You’ll have free rein in the penthouse but not outside of it, princessa.”

My heart swells with an emotion I can’t seem to describe, too caught up in the feeling that this might be real.I may just be safe here in his penthouse, under his protection, and in his strong and capable arms at night.

But that little voice…Trust no one.

It still keeps me vigilant and aware, taking in every single detail as he walks me through the vast living area, past the dining and spaciously open kitchen that I have already seen, down the hall to the other large rooms, a couple that look like guest rooms, a large gym and a space that could only be his office.

His cell rings and he unpockets it from his suit coat with his left hand, listening for a moment before grimacing.“I’ll be there shortly.”He disconnects.“If you can’t find me, I’m usually here working.”His hand settles on my lower back, guiding me back down the hall toward the kitchen.“I need to meet with Nicolo.Help yourself to what’s in the refrigerator.It was brought up fresh this morning.I’ll be back later in the day.The remote for the television, lights, and stereo is on the fireplace.”

Vincenzo lets go of my hand and places a finger beneath my chin, raising my eyes to meet his.“And princessa?I know it won’t be easy, but I want you to trust me.”

My eyes meet his and I give him the best smile I can muster before he turns and walks out the door.He could probably ask me for anything else, but trust.

17

Vincenzo

Nicolo is talking when I reach his office, but it’s going in one ear and out the other.All I can think about is what Anna recalled of the arrangement between her father and Barcelo.

So the Gallinis think they have a contract.A fucking dead man’s contract, with no proof that we know of that any of its kind exists.If he had a fucking contract, he’d have shown that hand long before now.But I can’t have any missteps on this thing.Not with my family name on the line.Credibility, our word, upholding the laws of the families even when we don’t agree, that keeps the family’s power intact, not to mention their safety.

Deviate and the smaller groups rally, growing in force if they feel injustice.We stay the course, under the radar for now.

My attention comes back to his conversation when he mentions the Gallinis and Sarones.

As if we don’t have enough trouble down at the docks with their constant meddling.Always trying to sneak a rat in the back door of some warehouse job, loading-pen work or anything else our dock managers need help with.

Nicolo gets off the phone and looks at me from his seat across the desk.“Word on the street is it’s official.The Sarones have officially joined the Gallinis, which means the territory adjacent to ours is now owned mutually.”

“Fuck.This close to shutting the Sarones down before they joined with the Gallinis.”

Nicolo takes a pull of his coffee, gesturing for me to get something from the bar in the corner.“You’re not wrong.Word on the street is the Gallinis are infusing the Sarones with money.”

I scowl, pouring myself a drink.My mind ticks off the reasons for aiding the Sarones but nothing comes to mind except getting to the DeLucas.No other family in our area has the kind of green needed to pour money into washups like the Sarones.Especially after they tried to hit our strip club and lost most of their street men.

And we have everything the bigger families want, the casinos, all the money that comes in from the gambling, hotels, back-room card games, payments from all of them to keep them safe from the thugs, and connections with the sex club because men like to stay close to the people who hold their darkest secrets and the docks.They may not be like New York City, but there’s enough under-the-radar boat traffic to keep the perfect cover.

Nicolo is thoughtful.“I can’t think of one family in the area that has enough money or would be so foolhardy to go against us knowing the Sarones are on our shit list.The only ones that would take money are the Sarones.”

Something’s not adding up.I take a seat and lean back in my chair.“Rumor on the street six months ago was the Gallini ventures here in the States had dried up and without the merger of the Cassones they weren’t going to have enough distribution channels, which was one of the reasons they fled back to the old country after Barcelo died.To the ports they grew up in and still command.”

He nods.“Yeah, doesn’t matter how much money your family has, if you can’t bring in your share in your venture, you get pulled back home.No doubt his papa wasn’t too happy with his business savvy or the fact that they lost Barcelo.”