Dangerous Beauty: Part Four: Beautifully Broken (3 page)

“Then allow me to do my fucking job, Luke!” Kyle snapped, tired of the man’s abrupt outbursts. “Slaughtering them is not the best option at this time …”

“And sitting around a fucking campfire, singing “Kumbaya” is?”

“I didn’t say to surrender, I said to make peace.”

“For what?” Lucca roared. “These fuckers will never stop! Let’s just kill them now and be done with it.”

“Maybe that’s what he wants, angry man.”

As soon as Davina spoke, Lucca became silent as if surprised that she’d said a word. The woman didn’t talk much, and when she did, it was usually because she had something valuable to say.

“Maybe Kyle doesn’t want them to stop. You must calm yourself and think rationally.” She said the words boldly, absolutely no fear when she looked him in the eyes.

It was rare seeing someone other than close family talking to Lucca as directly as she was. Nearly everyone—man or woman—that knew of his barbaric nature kept their distance from him, and in his presence they kept their head down, but not Davina. She sort of … well, she sort of told him off.

“If you would calm down, you would hear the man. You would understand what he’s saying. Your anger inhibits you from thinking, eh?”

“Excuse me?” Lucca growled.

Davina smirked. “Your bark will not intimidate me, angry man. Nor will your growl.” She pointed at Kyle. “Listen to him, he speaks the truth. Blood is the wrong way to go right now. It is too soon …”

After standing in silence for a moment, Lucca grabbed his chair from behind him on the floor, and took his seat. He leaned forward, rested his elbows on the table, clasped his hands together, and locked eyes with Davina.

“With all due respect, Mrs. Delavigne—”

“Miss,” she corrected.

“Miss Delavigne,” Lucca said impatiently, “you haven’t been here very long, so you are not aware of the amount of shit this family has been through with the Bonaducci clan.”

“Well, with all due respect, Underboss, I know much more than you think.” She smiled. “I’m not sitting at this table because I’m pretty; I’m here because I know what I’m talking about. Your consigliere is
right
.”

The extra emphasis she put on the word ‘right’ brought a satisfied smile to Kyle’s face.

“If Salerno fires back now, you’re basically asking to be thrown out of the mafia community. You are still the aggressor. Your Don assaulted another Don, for a good reason, but that isn’t what the other families will see. You must make peace and—”

“And allow Eric Bonaducci to become the aggressor,” Carter finished with a nod, showing her agreement. “This way you ensure the remaining three families in this city will be on our side.”

“We don’t need them on our side,” Nathan said, his tone taking an edge.

“We need them on our side, bubby.” Carter nodded, looking over in Nathan’s direction. “Not for the man power, just for support. The other families will view you as an enemy if you just go about wiping out entire clans, Nathan. You’re upset—”

“Upset … is an understatement, honey.” He gritted the words out through clenched teeth as his hands formed fists in front of him. “If I want them dead, they will be dead, Carterina. The approval of any motherfucking Don that doesn’t agree be
damned!
”

Silence immediately fell over the room.

Kyle had been wondering when Nathan would reveal the rage that was ever so obvious in his eyes. It always took him longer to react. While Lucca was the exploding type, Nathan’s temper was like his father’s; a slow, simmering anger that built over time. Kyle sat back now, knowing his time to argue his point was over. Whatever Nathan decided from this point on would be … unless his wife convinced him otherwise.

Standing from his seat, Nathan walked slowly to the window, slipping his hand into his pocket. “They killed my associate. Took over my territory. Stole a large sum of my money, my product. Sent my men running scared.” He shook his head as he gazed at the New York sky. “All of this they’ve done and you want me to,” he chuckled softly, “make peace?” He waved a tired, dismissive hand in the air. “Sweetheart, would you—”

Carter began speaking before he even finished his sentence. “This is your responsibility, Kyle …”

Her words shocked him a little, causing a confused frown to fall over his face.

She quickly elaborated. “You will set up a meeting with the Don and you will extend our one and only olive branch. Tell them there will be no retaliation for what they’ve done, but if they cross us again we will have no choice. Because we are holding back now, the war that they will bring upon themselves with another senseless attack will be merciless if they so choose to refuse our peace offering. Stress to them that no ally they could possibly acquire will ever be enough to take down an empire such as S.O.”

And her statement was very, very true. A lot had changed in just a few short years. Once just a family that men and women in the criminal underworld thought twice about coming against, the Salerno Organized Crime family had quickly gained an insurmountable amount of power and influence under the leadership of Nathan Salerno—especially after becoming close, personal friends with the Corsican Mafia. Under Nathan’s rule, the Salerno Empire had thus far entered heights unreachable for any other Italian mafia clan in the world. No one could touch them. The contemplation alone was highly dangerous.

“Do not fuck this up, Kyle,” Carter warned.

Kyle shook his head. “I’ve got it, Carterina. Trust me.”

“I do.” She smiled softly. “That’s the only reason why we are putting this in your hands.”

It was an honor to say the least. The most significant assignment ever given to Kyle. He wanted to do well, and he didn’t want to disappoint his brother. So silently, he decided that it may be time for him to go seek counsel from his father.

“As for everyone else … Lucca, you will gather the men that fled the attack for a meeting.”

Kyle frowned when she said that. “Why would Lucca—”

“They will all be punished, Kyle,” Nathan interjected in a low voice, never taking his eyes from the sky. “There will be no argument on that.” He turned to look at Kyle, an angry fire filling his eyes. “My soldiers do not run.”

Knowing better than to argue when told not to, Kyle kept his opinion to himself.

Nathan turned back to the window, and Carter continued. “Davina, you will get us the answers we need. Who is their ally? And find out who’s doing the hit. Call my father if you need help …”

“Which one?” she asked.

Carter shot her a glare. “The one I call ‘Daddy’.”

Davina raised a hand in surrender, chuckling softly. “Just asking.”

“That’s all,” Nathan said. “Carterina, stay please. The rest of you are done for the day. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

Kyle’s brows shot up in surprise of the abrupt dismissal. Well, that was unexpected. He’d come into the meeting, of course, hoping that it wouldn’t take all night because he had plans, but he’d never expected things to actually go so quickly. He may actually have time to go home and change first.

Kyle stood from his seat the same time Lucca and Davina did. He gathered his things while everyone said their good-byes; Lucca heading over to Nathan, and Davina to Carter. Once Davina went over to Nathan, shaking his hand, and Lucca finished his normal hug and kiss to Carter, Kyle made his way over to her.

She smiled brightly as she met him halfway and jumped into his arms.

Kyle chuckled softly. “
La mia bella,
you missed me today, huh?”

After meetings were over, business demeanors were always shed. Kyle enjoyed this part of his family more than the darker part of his life, especially now. He hadn’t appreciated it much in the past, but he was a changed man. A better man.

“Of course I did,” Carter whispered, kissing his cheek softly. “We missed you at dinner Wednesday night. Sofia said you went dancing.”

When he placed her back on the floor, she reached up, attempting to wipe her lipstick from his cheek.

Kyle smiled, taking her hand in his. “You know you just rub it in when you do that, right?”

She shrugged. “Well you always freak out when I lick my finger first.”

“Because it’s fucking nasty, Carter,” he laughed.

“What can I say, Kyle. I’m a mother.” She laughed softly. “That’s how I get shit off of my kids’ faces.”

“I’m sure they’re more used to it than I, then.” For a moment, he gazed at her smiling face before reaching forward to tuck a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m sorry about Wednesday. Getting a sitter for Sofia is hard, and Aniyah was feeling a little neglected, so I kind of had to capitalize on Sofi being with her grandparents.” It was all a part of his new
trying
thing. Trying to treat a woman well, with respect, care about her feelings and shit. So far he was doing okay. He could be doing better of course, admittedly he was still a bit detached, but all in all, he was light years better than he was before he became a single father to a beautiful little girl. And Aniyah seemed … happy with him when they weren’t fighting about dumb shit.

Carter’s face twitched a little. “Hmm …” was all she said in response.

Kyle frowned. “What?” he asked, confused by the look on her face.

Lifting her hand, she just patted his chest. “I love you, Kyle,” she sighed, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek once more. “Happy anniversary.”

His whole body stilled at her words as he gazed down at her with wide eyes. How the hell did she know that tonight was his and Aniyah’s anniversary? The two women barely spoke anymore. “How—”

“Your babysitter called me earlier.” She crossed her arms over her chest, eyeing him suspiciously.

Oh shit … What in the hell had his beloved babysitter told her now?

“And speaking of your babysitter,” she said, that signature Carterina attitude taking over her demeanor as she glared at him. “You sure do call on her quite often, Kyle Valente—”

“Carterina.”

Nathan’s sudden call made her close her mouth immediately, but the glare remained firmly on her face.

“Be quiet, woman,” Nathan commanded, looking over at her in warning.

Carter huffed and Kyle had no choice, he had to smile at her. She was reminding him of her son, Aleksandr, at the moment. The toddler had the exact same glare every time he got in trouble with one of the adults, which happened to be quite often. It made him realize how much he missed his little nephews’ and niece. He’d been so busy, he hadn’t been out to Nathan and Carter’s place in weeks.

Reaching forward, Kyle gave her nose a slight pinch, laughing softly when she scrunched her face and swung at his hand. God, he loved her … in the most appropriate of ways of course. “Stop your pouting, woman,” he chuckled, a grin spreading across his face. “You’re making me miss my nephews’ and my stunning baby niece. Aleksandr looks so much like you.”

“Looks more and more like both her and Gabriel with each passing day,” Nathan concurred, coming from behind him. “It’s frightening.”

Kyle felt a sharp slap on his back just as Nathan walked in front of him, grabbing his hand. Kyle laughed, shaking his brother’s hand, then pulling him into a quick hug.

“Happy Anniversary, brother,” Nathan said, pulling back, and looking at him with a smile. “That’s something I never thought I’d be saying to you.”

Kyle nodded. “Likewise …”

Nathan laughed, nodding his agreement with the statement. “So how long have the two of you been—”

“A year and a half today,” Kyle replied. “Aniyah enjoys celebrating our relationship every month.”

“That’s stupid. Every month seems a bit much … a bit high maintenance, don’t you think?”

“Carterina,
tikho vy,
” Nathan laughed.

Kyle laughed along with him. Though he still didn’t know what it was that had ended Aniyah and Carter’s friendship, he always found Carter’s behavior toward the woman amusing … and cute.

He watched as Nathan gently gripped her chin and leaned forward, placing a hard, but quick kiss on her lips. Carter scowled at him as he pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m warning you, Mrs. Salerno. Next time I’ll put your sexy ass over my knee.”

Her hair lightly smacked his face as she looked away from him, making him chuckle once again.

There was a time when such a display of affection between Nathan and Carter would cause him heartbreak, but thankfully, that time had come and gone. Seeing their closeness now only made him happy for them, made him feel joy in his heart for his brother, and made him wonder what it’d be like to have a relationship—a real one, like theirs—of his own. Kyle didn’t think he had what it took to be a husband, and it wasn’t something he really thought about until recently. It had only been a moment’s thought. Just him asking himself if he believed himself capable of adapting to … husband-hood, as he did to fatherhood.

“I’m sorry,” Carter grumbled reluctantly under her breath. Sighing, she replaced her scowl with a forced smile. “A year and a half is a nice little chunk of time. Are things getting serious?”

He took a deep breath, glancing beyond both Carter and Nathan. A year and a half was a long, long time in Kyle years. And no, things were not getting serious, on his side at least. But being the asshole he was, Kyle wasn’t going to let Carter in on that fact. Instead, he gave her the answer that he knew would ruffle her feathers a bit. “Maybe,” he stated with an exaggerated shrugged.