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Even though all the guests have been vetted, I know from experience that no one outside this family is ever to be trusted. I learned that lesson the hard way.
“Will you relax?” A hand on my arm draws my attention away from the guests who are milling around the lounge.
My posture relaxes a fraction as I turn to face Guilia, my oldest brother, Alceu’s, wife. She is holding my niece, who automatically holds her hands out for me to take her. As always, I take her without hesitation.
I never would have pictured any of us with children. Hell, none of us even liked kids, but Jennifer has us all wrapped around her little finger.
“You know it’s not going to happen,” Alceu says as he wraps an arm around her middle from behind.
“I want you to enjoy the party with the rest of us.” Guilia looks directly at me as she speaks.
“I don’t like parties, and I don’t like people,” I reply while Jennifer snuggles into my neck. “I will relax as soon as the last person leaves, and I know everyone is safe.”
Guilia sighs before shaking her head. “You need to let it go, Severu. It’s been more than two years.”
I roll my eyes at her as I sway Jennifer in my arms. She is going to be fast asleep in the next five minutes. The party has taken it out of her.
“I will never get over this.” I touch her shoulder as I walk past her.
There is a wingback chair in the corner that I know Mancuso, one of my other brothers, has placed there, especially for me. It’s a perfect place for me to see the entire gathering. I watch Alceu hug Guilia, and I know he is comforting her.
I hate that Sal still has any power from beyond the grave. He still controls so much of our story as a family. He used to be my brother’s greatest enemy, a constant thorn in his side. Until I put a bullet in his head. But Guilia still feels guilty for asking me to shoot her two years ago when Sal kidnapped her. I know it was the only way to defuse the situation without someone dying. I didn’t have any other choice. I had to shoot Guilia to get to Sal. But I can tell you that her scream still haunts my dreams.
****
I walk into Nocturn, the brothel we started up after Guilia suggested it over two years ago. We had found a warehouse full of drugged-up women. We didn’t have a clue what to do with them. But my sister-in-law suggested that we offer them work. Some of the women accepted and some wanted to return to their earlier lives. Either choice was fine with us, and we assisted them all in any way we could.
“Welcome, Severu,” Allegra greets me. “I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks.”
Allegra is the manager of Nocturn, as well as one of the women we found that day. It used to be Mancuso’s job, but he was slowly going mad, and it was the perfect solution to put her in his place.
She ran away from home at the age of sixteen because she was being physically abused. After less than a year of living on the street, one of Sal’s men snatched her up and took her. When we found her, she was drugged up to her eyeballs, but at least nothing untoward had happened to her. Yet.
Just thinking about it is enough to have disgust sliding down my spine. What if we hadn’t found them that day? What would have happened to her? But we did, and there isn’t anything else that matters. She is here, safe, and happy. She also chose to stay within our organization.
Guilia forced her to complete high school before she was allowed to start working for us six months ago. That is exactly how we figured out that she is excellent with numbers. She was an easy choice to run Nocturn, and we haven’t regretted it for a single moment. She has become part of our little family unit, adopted as the little sister we never had growing up.
“Just been busy,” I reply as I give her a side hug. “How are things here?”
“Busy as always.” She laughs in reply. “You know how it goes. Sex sells.”
“True.” I chuckle.
“So.” Allegra watches me closely. “Is there a reason you decided to pop in?”
“Everything is fine,” I reply and watch her shoulders sag in relief. “You’re doing an excellent job, Allegra. Stop worrying.”
Turning, I head to the bar. I need a drink after having to be surrounded by so many people today. I still haven’t completely relaxed.
Chapter Three
Lira
I watch Allegra hug Severu Cammareri, and my mind is baffled. She is the manager here, a sweet girl, just barely eighteen. At first, I thought that she was being forced to work here. It is the main suspicion that the Cammareris force all the women to work here. But I soon found out that isn’t true.
Each of the women who work here is here of their own volition. They aren’t drugged up or abused. They seem happy and healthy, and it confuses the hell out of me.
“Bourbon.” A deep voice pulls me out of my musings.
