Bound By The Past (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles Book 7)

We moved into a safehouse in Minneapolis because Dante determined it was too risky to have us all under one roof at night. But we spent all day at Pietro’s and Ines’ mansion. We settled into a strange routine and the days began to blur.

Pietro had doubled his guards in and around the house. The atmosphere was tense and depressed. I tried to give Sofia, Anna, and Leonas a sense of normalcy despite the horrendous situation, but they knew what was going on. Not in every terrible detail but enough to be aware of the seriousness. Anna and Sofia definitely suffered. Anna woke every night from nightmares while Leonas dealt better with the situation. Maybe it was his age. Maybe he couldn’t quite grasp what it meant to be in the Camorra’s hands. Anna had a better understanding and she experienced Sofia’s acute worry for Serafina.

We sat at the breakfast table one morning, almost done with eating and ready to drive to Pietro and Ines when Dante’s phone rang. He always had the tone turned on nowadays and every time it rang everyone around froze, gripped by dread, fearing bad news.

Dante glanced at his phone resting on the table and the way his mouth set in a tight line told me it was one of the Falcones.

I got up. “Why don’t you grab whatever you want to take with you today? We’re heading out in fifteen minutes.”

Neither Leonas nor Anna reacted to my words, their gazes fastened to their father. Slowly he looked up. My belly clenched.

“Upstairs, now,” he ordered.

Anna’s eyes widened. She pushed her chair back and stood then gripped Leonas’ hand who stared at his father with an open mouth. “Come, Leonas.”

He stood and Anna dragged him out of the kitchen.

I rounded the table. The look in Dante’s eyes scared me. “What is it?”

“Remo made his first demand,” he said in a deadly voice that told me he was fighting for control. He rose and peered down at me. “He wants Minneapolis.”

I huffed. “That’s ridiculous. You would never give him part of your territory, much less one of the most important cities!”

Dante smiled darkly. “Oh, he knows. He fucking knows.” He glared down at this phone. “He’s mocking me. He doesn’t want this game to be over now so he demands the impossible.”

I touched his shoulders. “Will you tell Pietro and Samuel?”

Dante looked into my eyes as if he hoped to find the answer to all his questions there. I wished I had them, wished I could help him. Everyone looked at him for answers, for actions, for salvation. It was a good thing his father was already crippled by dementia no matter how cruel that made me sound. But that man would have only made things worse.

“I have to. Serafina is their responsibility before she’s mine. They deserve to know, even if it’ll complicate things for me.”

“You think Pietro and Samuel would agree to Remo’s demand?” I asked surprised.

Dante raked his fingers through my hair. “They’d do anything to save Serafina.” He smiled as if he understood them only too well. Naturally I would give Remo every last inch of Outfit territory if Anna’s or Leonas’ life was on the line. I’d give him anything, absolutely anything to protect my children. But men had been brought up to always consider the Outfit first. Duty and honor came before anything else. Losing your territory and with it your honor was the worst imaginable fate in our world. Yet, looking into Dante’s eyes, I wondered if he’d hand everything over to Remo if Anna was in his hands, and I was fairly sure he would ultimately.

Anna and Sofia went into the garden to sit on the swing while Leonas slinked about the house. For him, this was hard because he didn’t even have his friends to play. Anna had Sofia and they managed to distract each other on occasion. Leonas had to play alone most of the time.

Dante took Pietro and Samuel aside shortly after we arrived at the mansion and told them about Remo’s demand while I sat on the patio with Ines, drinking coffee. She didn’t know about Remo’s text yet, and I wondered if I should tell her. Dante and Pietro kept many details from her for her protection, but imagining I were in her stead, I would have wanted to know every detail about my daughter’s situation.

Ines glanced my way. I must have watched her for a while. “There’s news that Dante doesn’t want to share with me, isn’t there?”

Anna and Sofia huddled close beside each other on the wide swing, talking. Girls were meant to be protected from all evil in our world, but often our world brought true evil down upon them. Bibiana had suffered in her first marriage and only now found happiness with Dario and her children. Serafina now suffered for the sins of men. “Remo made a ridiculous demand in exchange for Serafina’s freedom. It’s a fluke.”

Ines set her coffee cup down on the table. “What did he want?”

“Pietro’s territory.”

Ines turned her head away, lost in thought for a moment. “He can have it.”

I leaned over. “Ines, he knows Dante won’t ever give him part of his territory. Handing over an important city to the enemy would endanger everyone.”

“You mean it would endanger your children,” she said fiercely.

I sat back, surprised by the venom in her voice and eyes.

Ines bit her lip. “I’m sorry. This was uncalled for. I—” She swallowed and pressed her hand over her eyes. “I feel so helpless. I always told my children I’d keep the monsters at bay. And here my daughter is in the hands of a monster and I’m sitting here having coffee, unable to help her, to protect her.”

Tears prickled in my eyes. “Nobody could have foreseen something like this.”

Ines smiled bitterly. “I don’t know. Things have been escalating more and more. There’s so much hatred between the famiglias. How will all of this end?”

Peace was even less an option after what Remo had done. Dante would rather make another peace treaty with Luca than ever agree to a truce with the Camorra.

“Do we even have any options? The Camorra and the Famiglia work together. They’re against us.”

I didn’t say anything. Things looked bad for us. Luca wouldn’t work with Dante, not after the photo incident and not when it meant having the Camorra as his enemy. Who else was there? The Corsican Union in Canada, but they kept to themselves. We didn’t share the same cultural or linguistic background. They didn’t trust us and had little to gain from a cooperation. They wouldn’t risk a conflict with the Camorra and the Famiglia. And the Bratva? The Pakhan in Chicago who ruled over most of the Bratva in the Midwest had some sort of non-aggression pact with Remo Falcone.

Ines let out a choked sound. “It’s even worse than I think, isn’t it?”

“No,” I said firmly. “The Outfit has gone through crisis before and we’ve always come out of it because we stood together. Remo is trying to drive a wedge between us, which is why he asked for Pietro’s city. He wants to sow dissent in our family, but we won’t let him. We won’t allow him to destroy our bond because Serafina will need a strong family when she returns.”

Ines smiled weakly. “Dante’s right. You’d be a great Consigliere.”

It was easy giving advice when you didn’t have to suffer the backlash. I could give Dante my opinion because ultimately he was the one who’d be judged for it. He had to carry the weight of responsibility.

Sensing that Ines wanted to be alone, I went in search of Leonas to tell him we’d have all dinner together. Danilo would be there as well. He’d decided to commute between Indianapolis and Minneapolis as often as possible. For someone as young as him, he had to carry plenty of responsibility. A sick father, a disabled sister, ruling over Indianapolis, and now saving his fiancée.

“Leonas!” I called.

“He’s with me,” Dante said from a room down the corridor I’d never paid much attention to. The moment I stepped inside, I froze. It was weaponry. That explained the barred windows and heavy door. Knives, machine guns, and pistols lined the shelves.

Dante sat on a chair and Leonas stood beside him. In front of them on the table was a gun. It was in its separate pieces and Dante showed Leonas how to put it back together. Then he explained how to unlock the safety, aim and shoot. Leonas listened with a look of utmost concentration. Dante handed the gun to our son and my heart stopped. He was only seven. He was too young for this.

“Dante—” My voice shook.

Dante looked up. “It’s not loaded.”

I swallowed. “Can I have a word with you?”

Dante held out his hand and Leonas handed the gun back to him with a proud smile. Dante ruffled his head then stood. “Now go to the dining room.”

Leonas rushed out, grinning as if this had been the most fun game. I closed the door for privacy.

“He’s too young,” I whispered harshly.

Dante loaded the gun calmly then put it into one of his holsters. He shook his head. “If the attack proved anything, then that no one is safe. Not even children. We can’t coddle Leonas. He needs to learn what’s necessary to survive in this world.”

“Why? You and your soldiers are here for his protection. Anna and I aren’t wielding guns either.” For which I was glad. I hated them, even if they were a necessary evil in our world. Yet, I didn’t want Anna to have to carry one, not even now. Even with a gun, she wouldn’t stand a chance against someone like Remo because she lacked what those men had: no scruples and cruelty.

“Because I need to prepare Leonas in case I ever don’t return to all of you.”

I took a step back. “Don’t plan your death, Dante. We’re trying to have a third baby and you’re considering dying? What am I supposed to do without you? And what about the Outfit? They’ll be thrown into chaos. Who’d lead them if not you?”

Dante came toward me and pulled me against him, but I didn’t soften. I was angry and scared. “Val, I don’t intend to die any time soon, but death lurks at every corner. I need to prepare Leonas so he could take over at a young age.” Seeing my horrified look, he kissed me gently. “Not now, not in five years, but I want him to be strong and ready to lead the Outfit once he comes of age.”

“Could you have led the Outfit at only eighteen?”

“Maybe. Not the same way I do now. I would have made mistakes but I would have learned from them. Hell, I’m still making mistakes, even age doesn’t protect you from error.”

I shook my head. “He’s just a boy.”

“He’s the future Capo of the Outfit. He can’t afford to be a little boy.”

I closed my eyes, pressing my forehead against Dante’s suit. “When… when will you induct him?”

Dante touched my head and pressed a kiss to my hair. “At twelve.”

I shuddered. “How will you prepare him? How will you make him strong?” I opened my eyes, searching Dante’s face. His blond brows pulled together. “He’ll learn to fight. We have our fight centers for a reason. He’ll fight with older boys who won’t take pity on him. He’ll learn to shoot. Eventually he’ll have to be present at interrogations… at killings.”

“You won’t torture him to make him strong,” I said firmly.

“I won’t torture him.”

I pulled Dante’s head down to me and kissed him desperately.

Dante

Samuel and Pietro looked horrible. Dark shadows spread under their eyes. Pietro had started smoking again. A habit he’d abandoned for Ines.

I joined Pietro outside on the patio. He stared up at the sky, blowing smoke out. “When you first told me about Falcone’s demand, I would have agreed without hesitation. I’m still not convinced I’d say no if I were face to face with him.”

“He won’t give her back to us even if we promise him Minneapolis. He knows it can’t work. A territory can’t be gifted. It has to be conquered with sheer brutality. He’d have to kill every Made Man in your city to really own it. Remo is someone who wants to conquer. He’d never accept a territory that he didn’t bleed for. This is his game, Pietro.”

Pietro took another deep pull from the cigarette then threw it to the ground and stepped on it. “I swore to Ines I’d never start smoking again. She didn’t even comment when I did. Seeing Ines suffer… fuck, this is torture.”

When I talked to Remo next time, my suspicions were confirmed. Despite his played disappointment over my refusal to answer to his demand, eagerness rang in his voice. He had more planned. He loved his audience’s reaction more than the game itself. Maybe he’d lose interest in his game and Serafina if we didn’t play the game by his rules, if we acted level headed.

We didn’t have many other options at this point.

Samuel approached me a couple of days after the call, and I could tell from his expression that he hadn’t accepted my decision like Danilo and Pietro had. “Can we talk?” he asked, an edge to his voice.

“Of course,” I said and followed him toward my make-shift office in a former guest bedroom. Now that I had to do most of my business from Minneapolis and not Chicago, I needed an office. I’d returned to Chicago only twice since Serafina’s kidnapping. Val, too, mainly stayed in Minneapolis with the kids to support Ines.

I closed the door and turned to Samuel.

His blond hair had grown, brushing his ears, and he hadn’t shaved in a couple of days, so a dark-blond stubble covered his chin and cheeks. Despite his lack of sleep and refusal to rest, his shot wound had healed surprisingly well.

“We need to attack Las Vegas. Every day that Serafina stays with that asshole, he destroys another part of her. We can’t just sit back and wait.” His tone set my teeth on edge but I cut him slack.

“Between Las Vegas and us wait many hundreds of Remo’s loyal followers, men willing to die for him. They’re between us and Serafina, and even if we reach Las Vegas without any of them finding out, which is unlikely considering we need an army to walk into Vegas, we’ll be in Remo’s terrain. He knows Las Vegas, and our informants tell us it’s close to impossible to get past the security measures of the Falcone mansion. That is, if Serafina is even still there. Dozens would die.”

“I don’t give a fuck. They can all die as long as I get Fina back,” Samuel snarled.

“But I can’t send my men into a death mission that’s bound to fail. They have families. They trust in me to make wise choices and not act out of emotionality.”

Samuel brought his face close to mine, his eyes burning with anger. “I bet you’d be the first to walk into Vegas with a fucking army if Anna was there and you wouldn’t give a flying fuck if every man died.”

I cared about Serafina and about Ines, Pietro, and Samuel, but I had to admit my love for my children and Val was on another level, and I couldn’t deny that my reaction to Anna’s kidnapping would have been less restrained. If it would have saved her? I doubted it.

Samuel nodded as if I’d answered his question then he turned around and stalked away.

“Fuck!” I snarled, my control slipping. I wanted to walk into Vegas and rip Remo’s balls off and feed them to him. I wanted to show him that I could do every atrocity he had committed even if I usually chose less flashy forms of torture.

The Outfit was becoming more and more torn by the day, between the people who supported my cautious approach, wary of a war at another front, after all, we were surrounded by enemies. But there were also the others, many of them from the younger generation who screamed for blood, who wanted to walk into Vegas with blazing guns. Samuel was one of them, Danilo too, even if he wasn’t as vocal about it.

“When can we return to Chicago?” Leonas asked as we sat at the breakfast table a couple of days later.

Val gave him an understanding smile.

I’d considered sending Val and our children back to Chicago and staying in Minneapolis by myself. After all, their presence wasn’t required but I wanted them close. I needed to know they were safe. “I don’t know,” I said. “But hopefully soon.”

Leonas pushed his food around on his plate. “I miss my friends.”

“How about we play basketball?”

There was a basketball hoop in the driveway. Leonas sometimes played with Rocco and Riccardo back at home and I had played for a while when I was a teenager. Leonas’ eyes widened with eagerness and he nodded.

Anna frowned then looked down at her plate. After breakfast, I took her aside. “Why don’t we take a look at the new online gallery of the Met?”

Anna grinned. She’d wanted to visit the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art for a while now but as they were both in New York that wasn’t an option. Luckily, both museums had good online presence. Anna hugged my middle, and I touched her head. “Thank you, Daddy.”

Val kissed my cheek. “I know you’re busy but I’m so glad you try to make time for them. This is a difficult time for them as well.”

“I know,” I said quietly. I wished my children didn’t have to witness so much of the stark brutality of mob life.

Pietro called me around midday. I’d already played with Leonas, showered, and managed to sit down with Anna for an hour. She was still pressed up to my side, staring down at the laptop when my phone rang.

“Pietro, any news?” I’d told him I’d meet him, Samuel and Danilo in the evening.

“Samuel and a few of our soldiers have set out to Vegas to save Fina,” he said.

Tension shot through my body. “What?”

The fury in my voice made Anna look up with wide eyes. I gave her a tight smile and gently untangled myself from her before I stood.

“I didn’t know. One of the soldiers, he asked informed me just now. I can’t reach him or any of the men with him.”

“Goddamnit, Pietro. That’s a suicide mission! They won’t return alive, much less with Serafina. Remo will be furious over this new infringement of his territory!”

Pietro didn’t say anything for almost a minute and I was trying to get a grip on my rising anger and worry. If Samuel got killed trying to save Fina and if she was killed by Remo to pay us back… Ines wouldn’t survive that.

“Fuck!” I growled, realizing too late how close Anna stood.

I tried not to curse in front of her but had failed repeatedly these last few weeks. I lowered my phone slightly. “Go find your mother. Tell her I need to head out to your uncle and aunt.”

“Okay,” Anna said hesitantly but didn’t move. I touched her cheek and gave her a strained smile.

Finally, she turned and left the living room in search of Val.

“Ines doesn’t know yet,” Pietro said quietly. “I didn’t tell anyone but you now.”

“Good. I’ll inform Danilo. He needs to come over ASAP.” Danilo had only left for Indianapolis yesterday but this new development required his presence.

“I’m coming over now. We need to consider what to do.”

Pietro made a small affirming noise. I hung up and closed my eyes. My God, Samuel. Remo would tear him apart piece by piece and record it for all of us to see. Maybe he’d even do it in a live video and force us all to watch or he’d kill Serafina as well.

We didn’t hear anything from Samuel or any of his companions nor could we reach them—until the next day, when a beaten but alive Samuel and a badly tortured and dead Outfit soldier were delivered to our outpost near Camorra territory.

I called Pietro the moment I got the news then headed over to their mansion. Danilo was already there when I arrived. He hadn’t bothered with a suit like he usually did when he met me. This time he was in casual chinos and a white shirt. He like Pietro looked as if they hadn’t slept at all. I had been in the safehouse until way past midnight and hardly slept two hours, so I knew I didn’t look any better.

Pietro stalked toward me the moment I was in the lobby. “He’s alive?”

“Yes, and not seriously injured. They beat him up. He suffered a broken wrist and a few broken ribs but apart from that he’s okay.”

Ines and Sofia hovered in the doorway to the living room. Relief settled on my sister’s face and she leaned against the doorframe as if her legs couldn’t carry her much longer. “What about Fina?”

I shook my head. “We don’t know anything. I didn’t talk to Samuel yet. He’s flying over with a private jet now. He should be here soon.”

Sofia hugged Ines tightly, crying softly.

Pietro released a deep breath.

“I’m surprised Remo let him live,” Danilo said with a deep frown. “I think we can all agree that it’s not an act of mercy. That bastard doesn’t do mercy.”

I had to agree. Samuel should have shared the same fate as the other Outfit soldiers. That he hadn’t could only mean Remo had something worse in mind. Something that would hit us just as hard or harder in the end.

I didn’t voice my thoughts because I feared it meant Serafina would suffer.

Danilo’s eyes conveyed he thought the same thing. He came closer to me, his voice low and insistent. “Remo’s going to be furious the Outfit breached his territory. He’s going to make us pay through Serafina. We must do something.”

“Another attack won’t save her. He’s now alerted, even more than he was before. If we try to free her, we sign her death sentence.”

“Maybe Samuel did already,” Danilo growled.

Pietro’s face was ashen as he listened. At least, Ines and Sofia were too far away to hear what Danilo had said.

“Let’s go into my office,” Pietro suggested.

Ines stepped in my way and touched my chest, her eyes swimming with worry. “What will you do with my son?”

It took me a moment to follow her train of thought then it hit me. Samuel had acted against my explicit order, had led several of my men into death. That was betrayal. Rocco was locked in our cell for that very reason, because he was worth more alive than dead, now more than ever. But Samuel didn’t have any worth for me. At least not a strategic worth.

For the kind of betrayal he had committed there was only one punishment: death.

Danilo slanted me a curious look. As one of my Underbosses, he had to put trust in me that I didn’t favor certain Made Men because of their status. I risked the distrust of all my men if I favored family.

Yet, Danilo was practically family too. Could I trust in him to keep the details of Samuel’s behavior to himself? Or had he perhaps already told others?

Ines’ hands trembled against my chest and her eyes begged me to be merciful. I’d killed for her, a man who was meant to become my Consigliere. I’d do it again. I’d never regretted my decision because Ines’ happiness had been on the line, her life even.

And today I was faced with a similar choice. Only now I had to decide not to kill a soldier deserving of death for his betrayal.

“Dante—” Pietro began but I raised my palm to stop him. I respected him but this wasn’t between him and me.

I lowered my head and said quietly. “For you, Ines. Only for you.” I covered her hands briefly and she released a shuddering breath. She nodded and I stepped back.

Pietro touched her back briefly as we moved to the office.

Danilo’s face was perfectly neutral. He was difficult to read.

“I’ll talk to Samuel. I’ll make sure he never acts out of line again,” Pietro said as we settled on the plush armchairs in his office.

I tilted my head. “I appreciate it. But he’ll have to answer my questions first. I’ll make my point very clear to him.”

Pietro searched my eyes, then nodded.

He knew I had to make sure Samuel obeyed my commands in the future. I didn’t want to be faced with another choice like today again. I cared deeply for Samuel, and I wasn’t sure if I could go through with killing him. And giving a kill order to Arturo or Santino was out of the question. If anyone did it, it had to be me. I hoped it would never come to it.

We discussed possible reasons for Samuel’s release but in the end, they remained speculations, until Samuel shed some light on the situation.

A while later, I got a call that Samuel was almost at the mansion.

Pietro hurried out to tell Ines but I stayed put to talk to Danilo. “You kept your thoughts regarding my decision about Samuel’s punishment carefully hidden.”

Danilo pushed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “You are Capo. Your word is law.”

“It is, and yet I’d like to know your thoughts on the matter. You are Underboss and practically family.” I put an emphasis on the last word.

Danilo lowered his face. “Sometimes I’m not sure if it’ll still come to a bond between our families. Do you really believe we get Serafina back alive?” He glanced up, eyes tortured and angry.

“Yes. I think Remo’s plan is to send her back. If he wanted to torture and kill her, he could have done so right away. This is a mind game, and I think ultimately it’ll end in him sending her back to us in exchange for something.”

I realized he’d avoided answering my question once more. I stepped closer to him and squeezed his shoulder. “You are going to be family. This incident is a family matter and I expect it not to make the rounds.”

Understanding flickered in Danilo’s dark eyes. “Don’t worry. I can keep a secret if required.”

Rocco had said something similar to me many years ago. I hoped things with Danilo wouldn’t end in a similar manner.

I allowed Pietro, Sofia and Ines to have a few minutes for their family reunion after Samuel arrived. Bruises bloomed on his face and his eyes were bloodshot. His right arm was in a cast and his movements suggested his ribs made movement painful.

Danilo excused himself. He’d return for another meeting tomorrow morning. Then we’d know the details of Samuel’s release.

I glanced at my watch. Val and the kids would come over for dinner but I wanted to get my conversation with Samuel over by then.

Samuel caught my gaze and resignation filled his blue eyes. Ines’ eyes. My eyes.

I doubted I could kill him—ever.

Pietro clapped his shoulder lightly then Samuel headed for the office and I followed, knowing everyone was watching, waiting…

I was furious at him. Furious about his rash actions, but seeing him and the broken expression in his eyes, I realized that Samuel was already experiencing his own personal torture.

I closed the door of the office so we’d have privacy.

Samuel sank down in one of the armchairs and buried his face in his palms, letting out a shuddering breath.

I walked closer and regarded him for a moment. My nephew looked up.

“You went to Las Vegas behind my back.”

Samuel’s mouth twisted. “For nothing. Everything was for nothing.” He shook, closed his eyes. “I know I betrayed the Outfit, betrayed you by going behind your back. You should punish me for it.”

Yes, I should. I remembered when he’d taken his first steps. Carla and I had paid a visit to Ines at the time. Samuel was the first of the twins to discover the mansion on his legs but Serafina soon followed, always determined to be close to him.

I sank down on the sofa. “What happened?”

My voice was firm but free of anger, and I realized that was because surprisingly I hardly felt any. I would have tried to save Ines too. Samuel was young. He’d learn from his mistakes. It was painful but necessary.

Samuel swallowed. “We got overpowered. The Falcones, they are a unit. Nino and Remo…” His mouth pulled into a grimace. “They can’t be beaten in their territory…”

I gritted my teeth. It was something I’d told him before. “That’s why I didn’t agree to an attack. I knew it would fail.”

Samuel’s gaze became distant. “Yeah… but I thought I could save her.” He let out a tormented laugh. “Remo tortured Fina because of me. I heard her screams. Every time I close my eyes, I imagine what she went through… I… fuck, this is the worst.” His anguish was palpable. I remembered my turmoil when Ines was supposed to marry Jacopo, my worry over her well-being. I’d risked everything to protect her, had killed a fellow Made Man, my designated Consigliere. Samuel had gone against my order, true, but his transgression was small in comparison to mine from the past. I put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. His blue eyes were full of misery when he met my gaze. Samuel and Serafina were twins, they’d always been together. What Samuel must be feeling now, knowing that she was in the hands of our enemy, not to mention one as cruel and twisted as Remo Falcone, it would have driven most men to rash actions.

“I’m sorry, Dante. I accept any punishment you have in mind for me. I deserve torture… I deserve to die for this.”

He shuddered under my hand.

“But please allow me to live until Fina is safe. I must know she’s safe before I pay for my betrayal. That’s all I ask of you.”

I shook my head and Samuel’s eyes turned down with resignation.

“I won’t kill you, Sam. Not now and not when Fina’s back home either.”

“Because of Mom.”

“Because of your mother and because I care about you. But don’t go against my orders again.”

“I won’t,” he said fiercely, but I knew that a promise like that was easily broken.

“And I won’t torture you either. I think you’re already experiencing the worst kind of torture.”

“Yeah… knowing that Fina’s suffering because of my stupidity.” He fell silent.

I pulled my hand away and leaned back in the chair, feeling exhausted. “Remo’s playing with us. He wants to break us.”

“He’s succeeding, isn’t he?” Samuel rasped. “I feel fucking broken. Leaving Fina in his clutches feels as if I left my heart behind. I wished he’d exchanged me for her.”

“He knows he can break us better by keeping her.”

“Fuck, I don’t care about his fucking plans. I just want to save Fina, Dante. We have to save her. You didn’t hear her screams. You don’t understand. Just imagine if he had Anna…”

I couldn’t. The mere idea that someone might hurt my daughter, it made any logical thought impossible, and I needed to keep a clear head in this situation.

“Attack Las Vegas, Uncle. Ask every Underboss and Captain and every fucking soldier for help and stomp that shithole to the ground.”

“We wouldn’t succeed. Remo would know about our attack before we’d reach Vegas and he’d prepare for it. He’d hide Fina somewhere else or kill her to punish us.”

Samuel shook his head. “We can’t just wait for him to give her back. He’ll have broken her by then.”

“I’ll reach out to him and try to come to an understanding. And while I do, I’ll see if we have any options to get our hands on someone we can exchange for Fina.”

“Remo doesn’t care about anyone like we care about Fina. I doubt he even cares about his goddamn brothers. They are close because they know they’re stronger together. Like a pack. Those psychos aren’t capable of human emotion.”

I worried Samuel might be right, but Remo had his own demons. Remo had one thing he wanted more than anything else. “There’s still the option of exchanging Fina for Luca’s new Enforcer. Rumor has it Remo wants nothing more than to kill him.”

“Luca won’t hand him over to us.”

“No, he won’t. But if all fails, we can risk an attack on Luca’s territory and try to get our hands on the man.”

Samuel considered that and seemed mollified by this option. It was a last resort. I preferred a solution with Remo that didn’t force me to heave war with the Famiglia to another level.

Remo had lain low for a while now and it made me suspicious.

It made all of us suspicious.

“He’s up to something,” Danilo said. He hadn’t returned to Indianapolis yet. A sense of urgency had taken hold of all of us.

Samuel nodded but he’d been quiet and subdued these last few days. He was struggling. I knew how it felt to carry the weight of past decisions.

“Giovanni’s trying to renew Rocco’s contacts to the MCs in Luca’s territory but it’s difficult.” If we wanted any chance of getting our hand on Growl, it had to be with the help of those erratic bikers.

“It’s not really my father’s scene,” Val said. “He feels more comfortable talking to politicians than to bikers.”

She and Ines were playing a board game with the children at the dining table while we men had settled on the sofas to discuss possible solutions. It was futile trying to keep everything from the children. After weeks of living in a state of emergency they had gotten used to it.

The bell rang.

Pietro frowned, glancing at his watch.

“I ordered clothes,” Ines said. Pietro had told her not to go shopping for the time being. I too had asked Val to stay home as much as possible. Once we returned to Chicago and I’d established new safety measures, she could return to her usual routine.

Samuel rolled his eyes but pushed to his feet. The guards wouldn’t have let anyone close to the door who hadn’t passed their initial screening anyway.

“I want to ride on a bike!” Leonas exclaimed.

“It’s too dangerous,” Val said.

“I’m going to be a Capo. That’s more dangerous!”

A smile tugged at my mouth despite the situation and Pietro even laughed. Danilo, as usual, looked stern. He was lost in his thoughts most of these days, probably imagining scenarios of Serafina’s current situation. Splitting his attention between Indianapolis and Minneapolis was getting more difficult by the day. I avoided thoughts of what Serafina was going through at all costs. They didn’t lead to anything but despair and rage. Neither was useful.

Samuel came into the living room, looking ashen. He held a parcel in his hands. “This was just delivered. A package from Remo Falcone.” His voice shook and when he looked up from the parcel, terror shone in his eyes.

Ines let out a whimper, covering her mouth with her palm.

Danilo shoved to his feet and I, too, stood, only Pietro seemed frozen in his seat.

“Do you think he sent us a piece of Serafina?” Leonas asked. I stalked toward the table, grabbed his arm and jerked him to his feet. He winced. “Upstairs,” I growled.

Leonas’ eyes flashed with shock. I released him and he stormed upstairs.

“You too,” Valentina said to Anna and Sofia who didn’t hesitate.

“Open it,” Ines whispered, pushing to her feet, throwing over her glass. She stormed toward Samuel as if she wanted to rip the parcel from him to see what was inside. I couldn’t allow that. Not before I knew what was inside. Ines was a strong woman, but some things were simply beyond what she could endure.

I slung my arm around her waist, stopping her. She struggled fiercely. “Let me go, Dante! Let me go!”

I didn’t.

“Ines, calm down,” I urged.

She glared. “Would you calm down if Anna was in Serafina’s stead? If there could be her finger or ear inside? Don’t you dare tell me to calm down ever again, you hear?”

Ines had always been a poised, calm woman. She’d never screamed at me. Pietro finally stumbled to his feet and came around the table, hugging Ines to his body. “Ines, let us—”

“No!” Ines hissed and ripped away from Pietro. She staggered toward Samuel, who didn’t try to fight her as she ripped the parcel out of his hands and tore it open. A white bedsheet fell out of the box. It spilled onto the ground in soft waves, revealing a bloodstain.

Ines made a choked sound. For a moment, we were all frozen. There was no mistaken what the blood meant.

Samuel bent down, picking up a piece of paper attached to the sheets and began to read in a low, trembling voice:

Dear Dante, Danilo, Pietro, and Samuel,

I’m sure you’ve all gathered in this challenging time to congregate. This allows me to present my gift to all of you. Sharing is caring, right?

I always thought the Famiglia’s bloody sheets tradition was a ridiculous relict from the past, but I have to say I consider myself reformed. It has something very satisfying to present proof of your victory to your adversaries. You’ll be happy to hear that I let Luca know how I borrowed his Famiglia’s tradition to send you a very graphic message. He sends his regards.

In case your worry-riddled brains have trouble deciphering the sheets, let me spell it out to you. These beautiful virgin-snow-white sheets bore witness to Serafina’s deflowering.

I have to say, Pietro, you raised a firecracker. She fought me tooth and nail to defend her honor. It made my claiming of your beautiful daughter all the more entertaining.

Samuel’s voice died into a rasp. Ines sank to her knees, crying. Tears streamed down Val’s face, her fingers trembling against her mouth, her horror-struck eyes on me.

Danilo stared at the sheets, his face frozen, his arms hanging slack beside him.

Pietro had his back turned to us, his shoulder shaking. My muscles had seized up in a state of shock and an anger so profound it threatened to tear down walls I’d built over decades.

Samuel continued reading, his voice broken and agonized.

I wonder what you feel now, Danilo, knowing that I took what was promised to you?

And you, Samuel, knowing that I defiled your twin? That she suffered cruelly because you dared to set foot in my territory. Lesson learned, I hope?

And what about you, Dante? What do you feel now that you’ve failed to protect one of your own because you were too prideful to admit defeat? I hope your pride is worth seeing the proof of how Serafina suffered at my hands, or should I say cock?

Maybe your pride isn’t your downfall, but it sure as fuck is your family’s downfall, Cold Fish.

Kind regards,

Remo

(P.S. once doesn’t count, right? Maybe I can send you a second set of sheets.)

Danilo stormed toward the sheets and tore a lighter from his pants, trying to set them aflame. I grasped his arms but he struggled madly. He finally ripped free and stumbled away toward Pietro’s office. Carla had occasionally talked about purgatory when we’d discussed her belief. I’d always considered the idea of hell ridiculous. But today I experienced my own personal purgatory, and I’d dragged my family into the flames with me.