Reckless & Ruined (31 page)

Word traveled fast on the streets.

A few of the guys turned as Adriano approached, looking him over with wary eyes.

“Where is the Skip?” Con asked from the far corner.

“He won’t be coming tonight,” Adriano said.

Or any other night
, he held back from adding.

Adriano passed the guys a look, noting the wariness they sported was beginning to churn with understanding. If a meeting of a crew was called, it was usually done by the Capo and he would be there.

Kolin wasn’t there.

Adriano was.

“Is there a problem?” Adriano asked calmly.

Going for his usual comfort of nonchalance, Adriano cocked a brow and rested his shoulder against a crate.

Con stepped forward. “Yeah, I came to talk to the Skip.”

Adriano nodded once. “You’re looking at him, so talk.”

Silence answered that back.

And then Con had to go and ruin it. “Kolin—”

“Is at the bottom of a river currently. It’s an unfortunate end for him, but that’s the nature of the Outfit. It’s a beast, man, what else do you want me to say?”

Anger and confusion slipped over Con’s features.

Con wasn’t made in the Outfit. He had no real claim or stake.

Adriano needed a sacrifice, something to mark his claim and make sure everybody knew he wasn’t fucking around when it came to his spot as a Capo. Kolin had always told him that violence should only be used to draw control when absolutely necessary. All other means were best used first.

That didn’t apply in situations like these.

Violence—this was how a Capo took his spot.

Simple.

Bloody.

Just like that.

“I asked if there was problem, Con?” Adriano asked.

Con’s gaze narrowed. “No, of course not.”

Adriano glanced to Rickie. “There’s a problem. Seems you’ve been causing Steve issues again. What’s that, the sixth complaint I’ve heard about that shit? There’s enough problems in the Outfit right now without my crew adding to it by fighting amongst themselves. So yeah, Con, we’ve got a fucking problem.”

Con opened his mouth to say something, but Adriano was already done talking.

Yanking the gun from the waistband of his pants where it was hidden by his jacket, Adriano cocked back the hammer and aimed. It wasn’t Con’s fault, not really. The little issue between the men could be solved with a few words or somebody’s ass getting kicked. Blood didn’t need to be spilled. But Adriano had to make a point. He wanted no trouble when it came to being the Capo for his crew. Con was a good one to use to make everything clear.

Nobody moved or said a word.

“I’ll answer to Skip or Capo,” Adriano said quietly. “I suggest no one forgets that in the future.”

Pulling the trigger back inside the warehouse was the best choice Adriano had.

That didn’t mean it was easy. 

“Where in the hell are you?” Riley asked, his tone edging sharp like a razor.

“Working,” Adriano replied, never taking his eyes off the dark road in front of his parked vehicle. He flicked the lights off on the Camaro just to be safe. “Isn’t that what a Capo does, Dad? We fucking work. We go out and check up on shit. We keep up-to-date with the crew and then report back when there’s something to say. What more do you want from me?”

“Updates,” Riley barked.

Adriano rolled his eyes and palmed the tension headache starting to throb at the base of his skull. “The guys are nervous and twitchy. They’re working, but barely. Some think that the Trentini and DeLuca side of things might skip in on the streets and light someone or something up. They’ve got reasons to be worried.”

“No, they don’t,” Riley responded quietly. “No one is stupid enough to overthrow an already settled crew. Would they overthrow the leader of it and take over that way? Yes. But it’s not the same. You should be explaining that to them, Adriano.”

Adriano should do a lot of things.

Like hang the fuck up on his father, for one.

“You’re the one who wanted to disappear for a couple of weeks, Dad. Back off. If you’re ready to step back out and say everything is okay and good, then do so.”

“Not yet. I’m waiting on Joel.”

“Waiting on him to do what, Dad?”

Riley chuckled. “Patience gets a man everywhere.”

Adriano always thought men like them took what they wanted, when they wanted it. Mostly, he was just tired of the runaround he was getting from his father on a lot of things. Like dealing with the Artino assholes.

“Did you get the other job done tonight?” Riley asked.

Kolin, he meant.

They always used burner phones, but breaking the habit of talking vaguely or just in circles was hard to break.

“Swimming with the fish,” Adriano confirmed.

“Thank you. Stop by tomorrow and we’ll discuss some things.”

“Like what?”

“Whatever I want, Adriano. Tomorrow.”

Riley hung up the phone before Adriano could get another word in edgewise. Adriano didn’t mind, really. Checking his phone, Adriano noticed a text had come in while he was talking with his father.

Two minutes
, it read.

Adriano grinned, and hit the gas, moving his car further down the dark road with his lights still turned off. The glow of the moon was enough to see where he needed to go. Up ahead, he watched a tiny figure step out of the treeline. If someone followed that trail in the woods, it would lead straight to the back property of the Trentini estate.

Hitting the brake, Adriano leaned over and pushed the passenger door open. Alessa tossed her messenger bag inside first before climbing inside herself. Her sweet grin was the only fucking thing Adriano had wanted to see for the last week.

The quick meeting at the church hadn’t been nearly enough.

He’d texted Alessa earlier, just wanting to check up on her. She’d followed it up with a demand for Adriano to come get her for the night. It was stupid—way too reckless. He didn’t say no. But they were the only thing he knew how to save in this mess. When everyone else was picking up the ruined pieces of what was left, Adriano and Alessa would be okay. More than okay, even.

Somehow.

“What makes tonight a fine night to sneak out, Lissa?” Adriano asked.

“Joel is out for the night. Somewhere, I don’t know.”

“Don’t you think it’d be important to?”

Alessa laughed. “I don’t even care.”

Maybe she didn’t.

Adriano wasn’t going to complain.

“Eve is staying at my place,” Adriano said.

“I already knew that.”

Adriano chuckled. “Then you know to keep it down to a dull roar.”

“Oh?”

“I have time to make up for,” he explained.

“What are you waiting for?” Alessa asked as she closed the door.

“You,” Adriano murmured.

Alessa smiled wider. “I’m here.”

“Yeah, but I’m always waiting on you for one thing or another. I don’t mind.”

Something woke Adriano from the dead sleep he was in. Nothing in his apartment had made a sound, and Alessa’s rhythmic breathing at his side said she was still sleeping soundly. But the oddest sensation crawled over Adriano’s spine, like someone was watching him.

Sliding his hand under the pillow, he grabbed the magnum that was always there. Turning fast in the bed, he cocked the hammer back and aimed. The barrel of his gun pointed directly at the chest of Damian Rossi.

Adriano felt his heart clench painfully at the sight of Damian’s gun aimed and ready, pointing straight at a sleeping Alessa.

There was a reason why people called this man Ghost, after all. Adriano’s apartment was as safe as it would ever be, but Damian had his ways. This did not make for a good situation. As far as Adriano understood it, Damian only showed himself during a job if he didn’t plan on the victim seeing him leave.

“Evening,” Damian greeted almost soundlessly.

Adriano’s mouth was dry as he replied, “I’d say it’s early morning.”

“Getting there.” Damian looked over the couple and the messy sheets. Adriano shifted in the bed and tugged the sheet a little higher over Alessa’s naked shoulders. “This is an interesting sight.”

“Is it?”

“Very. Doesn’t she have her own bed to sleep in?” Damian asked, watching Alessa closely.

Jealousy burned white-hot through Adriano. 

“Don’t you have your own wife to stare at?”

“Touché.” Damian chuckled lowly. “Adriano, I have very little interest in your girl here, trust that. I’m happily married, remember? But if the Trentini girl puts you on a steeper edge while we chat, I certainly don’t mind using it to my advantage and making you uncomfortable.”

“Is that so?” Adriano asked.

“Fear often has a way of dragging out the truth where it might not otherwise be offered.”

Adriano’s jaw clenched. “Then why are you here?”

Damian smiled grimly. “We need to have a little chat.”

“Oh?”

“Yes.” Nodding at the gun in Adriano’s hand, Damian said, “Put it back where you found it, please.”

“Like fuck.”

Damian cocked the hammer back on his gun. Alessa shifted at the loud clack. Cringing, Adriano quickly stuffed his magnum back under the pillow as quietly and with as little movement as possible.

“Happy?” he asked the hitman.

Damian shrugged. “We’ll see how this discussion goes.”

“Perfect.”

“How did she end up here tonight?” Damian asked.

“Does that matter?”

“A matter of curiosity.”

“Curiosity killed the cat, Damian.”

“Stalling killed the man, Adriano.”

Point taken.

Adriano scowled. “She snuck out of the Trentini place, and I met her at the back road with the lights turned off. That enough for you?”

“You’re really toeing the line between crazy and downright insane with this girl, Adriano. The general consensus is that if she gets you killed, it wasn’t worth it.”

Adriano disagreed entirely. “Your opinion, Damian.”

“And I’m usually right.”

“What do you want?” Adriano asked, tired of the chitchat.

“She sleeps like the dead,” Damian noted, nodding at Alessa.

“Not really.”

Long night
, Adriano held back from adding.

He couldn’t hold back his smirk even if he tried.

Damian sighed and shook his head. “I get it. Never mind.”

“Good.”

“Your sister is sleeping down the hall,” Damian said like it was an afterthought.

“I got my Dad off her back.”

“Fascinating. Let’s have that chat before daylight comes and one of the two wakes up,” Damian said.

“Will you drop your gun?” Adriano asked.

“No.”

Well …

Adriano kept one eye on the weapon, one on Damian, and his hand on Alessa’s side under the blanket as he said, “Talk.”

“I need some information,” Damian explained. “On your father.”

Adriano barely held back from barking at Damian to go fuck himself. He figured that wouldn’t be the best thing to say to the man holding the gun. “I have nothing to say about him.”

“Too bad. But if you’re trying to hide the fact that he’s alive, don’t bother. I’m already aware. I have friends in every man’s house. Your father’s included.”

Dammit.

“Does anyone else know?” Adriano asked.

“A lot of people suspect. No one has confirmed anything. I suppose that works out well to your father’s favor, if this is his goal, I mean. And if not, but for whatever reason he is hiding away, then he’s making Joel look mighty good. Riley might want to take a second look at his choices right now.”

Adriano chuckled. “Nice try. I won’t tell you his plans.”

“I’m not asking for them.”

“Riley holds my loyalty, Damian. Take that as you may.”

“I didn’t ask that. Let’s not waste time with runarounds.”

Fuck.

“What do you want to know?” Adriano asked.

“My wife is very upset,” Damian said quietly, never taking his heavy stare off Adriano as he spoke. “And you see, when Lily Rossi is upset, I am upset. I don’t like to see her cry and I’ve been known to hurt those who cause her tears.”

Adriano didn’t blink. “So?”