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I swirled on my heel and ducked low as I sent five bullets into the five men who were about to jump me. I spun around toward Anna and shot one over her shoulder and heard her yelp in fear. She bolted for the office while I got another seven shots off before I jerked from a kick in the back.
I pretended the hit knocked the wind out of me and grabbed my stomach, then suddenly kicked Stefano in the shoulder, causing the bat to fall to the ground. As he stumbled backward, I used the toe of my shoe to roll the bat and flick it upward into my hands. With all my might, I slammed it into a man’s skull who had come at me from the side, then nailed Stefano in the ribs as he lunged forward.
“Elio!” Vinni’s welcome voice called as I took another hit to the face. I fed off the pain. Any feeling was better than the hollowness that ate away at my insides.
Blood blurred my vision momentarily as more hits came, and I did whatever I could to inflict pain back. It wasn’t until I heard Vinni’s blowtorch being lit that I stopped and stood tall. I let a smile spread across my bleeding lips and relished their screams as their souls scrambled to disperse.
“Boss? You okay?” Vinni said quietly from the doorway, jolting me back to the present. “The lead was another dead end.”
I drew in a breath and tried not to snap at my cousin for not being able to locate Mariano. No one could lately. After Sienna left, he vanished. My gut told me he was hiding out on Coppola land, but most of my resources were following Stefano. I wanted to send more, but that would only raise suspicion from other people.
I felt like things were slipping away, nothing was as it should be, and I was still trying to figure how I was going to wade through the dark sludge that filled my heart.
“Also,” he took a step into the room, “I spoke to Niccola.” I nodded with my back to him. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be—”
I held up a hand for him to stop.
His phone made a noise indicating a message. “Donatello says the package arrived.”
A ball of pain swirled around the pit of my stomach, and I dug my nails into the leather of the chair once again.
“Elio?” Mama joined Vinni. “Our company has arrived.”
“Are you sure about this, boss?”
I grabbed the letter opener and chucked it across the room, drilling it into the center of the painting that hung above the fireplace. Mama jumped but didn’t say a word as I stormed past them and down the hallway to the lounge where the guests were being handed drinks.
I just needed to know if she was okay.
“Ah, son,” Papa greeted me with a weary expression that mirrored my emotion. “These are some friends from the south.” He waved at the man who was surely my father’s age and then some. “This is Mr. Leonardo and his wife Mirabella.”
“I’ve heard a great deal about you.” Leonardo offered his hand to me. “I would like you to meet our daughter, Carina.”
Carina was tall, slim, and looked very bored.
“Charmed to meet you.” She flashed me a grin, but it didn’t stay for long. At least we seemed to be on the same page. It was all so tiresome but necessary.
“Come, let’s all have a drink.” My father sat in his favorite chair and wined and dined like all was normal. “Let’s have some food and talk business.”
I offered my two cents when needed, but my focus kept being pulled to a certain text message that still hadn’t been updated.
“Elio,” my father shot me a glance, “maybe you can show Carina the terrace.”
I hesitated and watched the screen for a beat longer then pushed to my feet, attempting to hide my annoyance with his request.
I pointed in the direction of the double doors and forced a smile at the young woman. Carina stood and joined me.
“He has a lot to deal with right now.” I heard my father’s voice as he covered for my lack of graciousness in the situation.
“He seems just lovely,” Mirabella said as she tried to make Papa feel better.
I felt guilty and knew I had to make a better attempt for his sake, in spite of the billion things I needed to get finished.
“Another?” I held up my empty glass to Carina. I spoke with more cheerfulness than I felt.
“Why not.” She handed me hers and turned to admire the flowers. “If I worked here, I’d move my desk outside. This place is really pretty. You barely feel like you’re in the city.”
“Mm.” I handed her the drink and took a seat on the edge of a planter.
