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In the following few weeks several things happened in rapid succession.
After the rescue, Valentina had been brought right to the hospital. Because of the nature and extent of her injuries there were a whole lot of questions put to her by the medical staff. But since Valentina had honestly gotten hurt in the car accident that killed Sal, the explanation she gave to the questioning authorities was plausible and could be confirmed.
The story of having survived and crawled away from the accident was true, albeit the timeline didn’t quite add up. After the formalities of mandated questions were over, the doctors left it at that and concentrated on treating Valentina’s injuries.
The blistered burns on the pads of her fingers and her palms were treated with balm and gauze. She was relieved to hear that although her hair was badly singed, the burns had not penetrated too deeply into her scalp, and therefore the roots were not damaged. Valentina’s hair would eventually grow back to fill in those burnt spots.
The worst of it was that three of her ribs were indeed fractured and that the blunt force trauma to her abdomen resulted in a tear in Valentina’s spleen. She went under the knife immediately to repair that tear in hopes of avoiding a total rupture. The surgery was successful, and two days later a very sore, but very grateful Valentina was released from Med General.
Hal stayed by Valentina’s side in the hospital, he even slept at night in the chair by her bed. Gianni, of course, ordered muscle to sit outside his daughter’s room round the clock. Under different circumstances this might have raised some eyebrows, however, the hospital was so big and busy that nobody paid much attention to a guy in a suit sitting in the hallway.
Once Valentina was all cleared to be released, her father had sent a limousine to bring her home. Hal walked her out to the limo and kissed her softly goodbye, then he rode off to help put a final end to the chaos that the Abiatti family had started a long time ago.
With the death of Sebastian, and the failed attempt by his crew to kill Gia Bonzini and Valentina Abruzzi, the mutinous actions of several mafia families came to an abrupt halt. The clans who had thought to disconnect themselves from the Bonzini Organization in favor of joining forces with Sebastian Abiatti and the Colombian Cartel had a swift change of heart. While her father and his organization held meetings, handed out judgements, and brought the errant sheep back into the syndicated crime fold, the HSMC was busy holding meetings of its own. Prosper headed a club run for the east coast brothers to convene in Miami. The heads of the different MC chapters met with Hezekiah Jones, the president of the Aces, to make sure that the alliance and territories still held strong against cartel involvement. During one of those meetings a motion was put on the table and carried. The decision was made to place a bounty on Rooster’s head. It was a considerable amount and was offered wide spread across the country for any biker club to claim.
Eddie “Rooster” Lobards was wanted dead or alive.
Because of the overall condition of Sal’s body, he was immediately cremated. But in keeping with the Catholic faith, his remains were buried in blessed ground. Salvatore Tettorio’s funeral was a grand affair befitting his station in the organization. His funeral was attended by well over five hundred people, including heads of mafia families, politicians, and judges. Those who were unable to attend made sure to send thick cash envelopes not only as a sign of respect to the Tettorio family, but also to reaffirm their loyalty to the entire Bonzini Organization.
In La Familia, births, deaths, confirmations, and marriages were all accompanied by large and lavish displays. Sacramental rituals and holy days were always strictly observed in the Cosa Nostra. The hypocrisy of it all hit Valentina over the head like a sledge hammer as she watched Sal’s remains blessed and interred into his family mausoleum. How could it be that when it came to the church and the seven sacraments, the mafia adhered to such an elaborate display of devotion, yet in business practice the ten commandments were held in such monstrous disregard?
Thou shalt not kill.
In stark contrast to Uncle Sal’s lavish interment, the private burial of Amelia Louise Lobards was quiet, simple, and underattended. True to her word, Valentina saw that the forty-six-year-old waitress and mother of Eddie Lobards received the honor of a Christian burial. Amelia was buried in Grovsner Cemetery, under a spreading oak tree on the top of a sloping hill covered with wild flowers.
The money that Rooster left behind for his mother’s burial was enough for two plots so Gia and Valentina decided to have one plot set with a large headstone ornately carved out of Connemara marble in the form of angel wings. The wordsBeloved Motherwere carved in the tips of each wing.
On the adjacent plot, the girls decided to set a smooth white marble bench. Valentina chose a quote by Thomas Campbell to be inscribed on the seat—To live in the hearts of those we love is not to die.Father Michael bestowed the final blessing on the deceased while Gia and Valentina sat in attendance.
Valentina posted the small obituary in several newspapers across the country in hopes that Rooster would see it and find some small comfort. Although Valentina had every reason to believe that Rooster would carry out his threat against herself and her family, that was not the reason Valentina kept her word to him. She did it because despite Rooster’s many and violent failings, it was obvious that the son loved the mother, and she did it because Valentina was a woman of her word.
There was also one more reason that Valentina kept her promise to Rooster— there was something about the timing of Amelia Louise Lobards’s death that just didn’t sit well with her.
With all the intrigue and danger there was to sort out on every front, it was several weeks before Valentina saw Hal again. Prosper gathered together all of the most influential members of the HSMC on the eastern seaboard. Together they chose representatives from each of their chapters and set out on a run to Nevada. The already sizable delegation picked up reps from chapters along the way.
By the time their Harleys hit the Nevada state border and entered Las Vegas, the Saints numbered well over a thousand strong. The message was delivered loud and clear. No more fucking around from pissant lower level mobsters would be tolerated. Not only was the Bonzini Crime Organization back to heading La Familia, the HSMC were part of that package now too— all the way.
The brothers of the HSMC invaded the streets, the casinos, the bars, the brothels, and hotels. They were boisterous, belligerent, and barely under control by design. Prosper watched on with satisfaction as house limits were raised, penthouse suites were comped, and high-priced hookers were offered free for the taking.
In the matter of the Sebastian Abiatti/Colombian Cartel attempted coup— the aggressive, decisive, and effective manner in which Front Boss Gianni Abruzzi handled the situation was met with admiration and gratitude among the key players in La Familia. In light of Don Pierro Bonzini’s advanced age and failing health, a decision was made and the torch was officially handed to Gianni Abruzzi.
No one in Cosa Nostra was surprised at Abruzzi’s ascent from Front Boss toCapo di Tutti Capi—boss of all bosses. Although, of course it was never stated outright, Gianni’s elevated status did not go unnoticed by the Abruzzi household. The change in home security alone was monumental. And it was hard to miss the parade of tailor-suited men who moved soundlessly in and out of her father’s office now with alarming frequency.
It was with regret that Valentina realized she was not the only one aware of her father’s rise to power in the Cosa Nostra. Not two days after the parade of mobster minions began to arrive, Dolly McCabe packed up the few things she kept at Gianni’s house, got in her canary yellow Corvette, then sped out the driveway without once looking back. And even though Valentina knew that a break-up was bound to happen between Dolly and her father sooner or later, Valentina had hoped for the best. She had never seen her father look at another woman the way he looked at Dolly McCabe. And on Dolly’s part, her eyes lit up whenever Gianni walked into a room. Valentina had loved the normalcy of walking into the living room and seeing their two heads bent together poring over plans for the weekend or deciding which restaurant to dine at that evening. Dolly had been good for her father—they had been good for each other, and it made Valentina sad to think that it had all come to an end.
“He’s here!” Gia screeched. Then she jumped up and down and ran from the window in a flush of excitement. Gia announced Hal’s arrival with the type of ecstatic delight that should only be reserved for senior proms and first dates. It was very Gia-like to trumpet Hal’s arrival as if he were Prince Charming galloping up on a white steed, instead of an outlaw biker zooming in on a chromed-up Harley. But Valentina didn’t say a word, as a matter of fact, she was happy to see her cousin flying her freak flag once more. Since the incident with Rooster, Gia had been uncharacteristically subdued. But considering that the two girls had just survived a shit-storm of epic proportions, a little calm after the storm was not a bad thing. Especially where her cousin was concerned. With Gia’s help, Valentina had taken extra care with her appearance for her dinner date. The girls had gone shopping together and after much, much,toomuch debate, they settled on a rose-colored sheath dress. The soft, tissue weight fabric draped smoothly over Valentina’s body, easily skimming past her still tender and healing abdomen. The ankle length of the dress was perfect and it was chosen to cover the varied and many scabbed-over scratches and burn marks Valentina had on her legs.
She had spent fifty dollars on crème foundation that she didn’t need, to take advantage of the “free” offer to get her face done by a makeup artist at the cosmetic counter. The make-up artist was apparently a magician of mythical proportions because she was somehow able to make Valentina’s skin look dewy and fresh, while her eyes screamed seductress, and her lips pouted out a pale pink promise. When Valentina looked in the mirror and considered the whole package, she thought every bit of her looked fantastic.
Every bit of her except her hair.
The burnt bits of scalp had begun to grow hair back as promised, except that new growth sprouted up in baby soft patches in a very Daffy Duckling sort of way.
Valentina was also subject to bouts of spasmodic pain from her still healing ribcage. The cause of said pain was any sudden movement or sharp intake of breath. This discomfit would cause Valentina’s face to contort into such a sudden and horrible grimace which was known to frighten small children in supermarkets.
But other than all those two small things,Valentina thought ruefully,I look fantastic!.
When Valentina opened the door and saw Hal standing there, her eyes widened and her pulse raced. As beautiful and turbulent as the ice blue waters of a cold Nordic sea, Hal was like a lovely splash of clear, bright, bracing water. He awoke all of Valentina’s senses, made her nerve endings tingle, and took her breath away.
