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After my run-in with Sebastian this morning, I am now with Jake, Shaun, and Stephen at Romeo’s. He closed the restaurant tonight for me, and we are now sitting in the private room at the back. We sit at a large round timber table, crowded around a pile of papers and photos.
Romeo’s wife keeps bringing food and drinks across to us, but no one is touching it. If I eat now, I think I will vomit. I gave Jake a run-down of my encounter over the phone this morning, and we called a family meeting. For the first time, we have kept Scarlett out of it. Normally, she joins us and is a great support in times of need, but today she is out with Baxter, and Shaun didn’t want her to worry.
We left Prince with them because today he was quiet, sensing both the seriousness of the day, and also because his tummy is upset due to the amount of ice cream he devoured this morning. We are at Romeo’s restaurant because being Italian and with his years in security, he knows a thing or two about the family, and we have come to learn more about who we are dealing with because I am not giving up.
Jake has organized a briefing, including an overview of the family and Frankie, and that’s where I find myself now. I am sitting looking down at a photo of Frankie from about 12 months earlier that was taken at a family event. She is stunning. The most beautiful woman I think I have ever seen. She looks the same except her hair is a deep chocolate brown, and her eyes are a different color too, they look like rich coffee and are quite distinctive. Not only is her hair now dyed red, but she must wear contacts as well because these eyes staring back at me in this photo are mesmerizing and totally unforgettable, but yet I haven’t seen them before.
“She is Alessandro’s only daughter. It is just her and Sebastian. Sebastian will take over the business once Alessandro retires, or more than likely gets killed,” Romeo states very matter of factly.
“About a year ago, Francesca was announced to marry Enzo Baldino, an Italian drug lord that has full mob rights over the south of New York City.” Jake throws another photo my way, this one of an older guy, who looks smug and sleazy. He has pocket scars on his cheeks, a large stomach from too much food, and oily, slick hair. He looks every inch like the mobsters of a decade ago that you would expect.
I don’t even know him, but I already want to smash him in the face for even thinking he could marry my Frankie. My jaw clenches at the thought, and my fists curl. I have never wanted to punch something as much as I do now. Shaun, who is sitting next to me, must feel my tension because he puts his hand on my shoulder in a way of solidarity.
“No way, she is way too young and pretty for him. Who would want to marry that!” Stephen says, looking at the photo over my shoulder.
“It is what is expected. She would have known her role in the family from a young age. She was groomed for an arranged marriage early, knowing that it is her duty in the family to be married to further business interests. Love does not even enter into it. Actually, it is common for the husband to not even be around his wife. The men have many whores and lovers, rarely considering the needs or wants of their wife. Meanwhile, the wives must remain loyal, committed, and ready to support them no matter what. Often the wives are used as pawns or bait...” Romeo stops when he looks at me and sees the murderous look on my face.
“If you want to be with Frankie, you need to know that you will never get her family’s blessing and that you will need to look over your shoulder every hour of every day until Alessandro is gone from this world. He will kill you for even being near his daughter. She knew what her life was going to be, Marco,” Romeo states.
“That’s probably why she is running from it. She obviously doesn’t want that life or want this man near her,” Shaun says as he takes the photo of Enzo from my grip and flicks it back to the table, neither of us wanting to look at him any longer.
“I don’t blame her,” Jake pipes us. “My intelligence tells me that Enzo is one crazy motherfucker. He runs drugs throughout the South of New York but lost his first wife a few years ago under suspicious circumstances. He now wants to be connected with Alessandro and the family. No doubt Sebastian doesn’t want him around either because Enzo would kill Sebastian to get the title of Head of the Family which would go to him if he married Francesca and then Alessandro and Sebastian both die. My intelligence tells me Frankie fled about a year ago,” Jake states and my eyes flick to his in a silent request for further information.
“She didn’t want to be in an arranged marriage, and she just disappeared with— what we can now assume after his visit to you this morning— Sebastian’s help. Alf and Sofia are her godparents, old friends of her fathers. Alessandro put him in front of the enemy to distract them while he escaped. Alf nearly died but got away, and he and his wife Sofia have lived in Boston ever since.” Jake looks at me but continues, knowing that I want all the details and not to leave anything out.
“If Alessandro finds out that his own son has betrayed him, he will not hesitate to kill him. The streets of New York will run red with Alessandro’s wrath if he finds out Sebastian has done this.. He will kill his own son and everyone ever associated with him. Sebastian has hidden her so well, no one has seen her at all during this past year. Alessandro has been sending men all over the country looking for her. He is angry, and if he ever finds her, it is not going to be good. He has eyes and ears everywhere, but no one knew where she was.”
“Until I met her in the park,” I finished for him and now everything Sebastian said to me this morning makes sense. Because of me, because of my profile, I will shine a light on her, and she will be found. Fuck, I will kill her. The thought makes me feel like shit. The only woman I have ever loved is the very woman I could kill, just from loving her.
“Shit...” Shaun says rubbing his eyes as the same thought just dawns on him.
“Alessandro even has men searching for her across Europe given that she has spent a lot of time in Italy. She has contacts everywhere and is torturing people in his quest to find her,” Jake states his face solemn, his words harsh.
My stomach is heavy, my heart hurts, my head is thumping. All I want is Frankie, and I know she wants me too. We could continue to see each other privately, but if Sebastian already knows about us then it won’t take his father long to find out either. I have enjoyed my billionaire bachelor lifestyle for years, but right now, I would give anything to not have the media attention and the social media hashtags that follow my every move. Because while they are on my tail, I will never be a safe place for Frankie.
“What are we going to do?” Stephen asks, looking at us all.
“This is a hard one...” Shaun says. He always has an opinion, and the fact that he is not airing it makes me angry. I already know that he thinks I should leave Frankie alone and move on with my life like it never happened but it isn’t that easy.
“We need to stay right away from this. This is serious shit. This could get us all killed,” Jake reiterates, and I know he is right, but I am not leaving Frankie, I can’t.
So, with my mind made up, I know what I have to do. “I have an idea,” I say and the four of them look at me, and in that moment I know they will have my back.
23
Frankie
I wake with a start, my eyes darting to the window, where my curtains are open and I can see the black sky outside. I look around my room, trying to get my bearings as I find myself lying on my bed, on top of my crumpled sheets, where I put my head down late this afternoon. Sitting up, I rub my eyes just as I hear the buzz of my front door and my body jolts in fear.
With my heart now racing, I jump out of bed and I grab my cell phone. Seeing no missed calls or messages and noticing it is two in the morning, my palms start to sweat. Who is at my door?
The door buzzes again and my breathing quickens. I lean over to my bedside table and grab my gun. It is the same one I have had for the past few years; Sebastian gave it to me for my 21st birthday. I have had a gun since I was young, learning to shoot when I was just a teenager. Knowing how to defend myself and my family were what my summers in Sicily were filled with. I don’t want to have a gun. I don’t want to use a gun. But I have one, I know how to use it, and I will pull the trigger if I need to.
The door buzzer continues to go off, and I slip out of my bedroom on shaky legs. I make my way to the security monitor and hold my breath, not sure of what I will find. I can’t see much because it is dark, but I see a large figure and I think it is a man and they are alone. It is not Sebastian or Alf, the build of this man is different. He is big and wearing jeans with a black hoodie. I can’t say that I recognize him. He must know that I am watching because he raises his head, his face now looking directly at the camera and a little light shines on his face helping me make out the features.
It is Jake. I breathe out a small sigh of relief that I am not in danger while he continues to press the buzzer, and I run downstairs now panicking that something may have happened to Marco.
I open the front security door. “Jake, what are you…” is all I get out by way of greeting before he shoves a yellow envelope at me and runs off. While I am shocked, I am quick enough to put the envelope behind my back, away from any prying eyes, and I lock the door and run back to my apartment.
