Reckless & Ruined (5 page)

Alessa shuddered but hid it well enough. She had been present for both shootings and lucky enough not to be hurt. Watching Mia Conti die while Adriano tried to save his mother’s life was something Alessa couldn’t forget. And then again in the driveway of her grandfather’s home, a place that was supposed to be safe, she watched two more people struggle for life because of someone’s choices.

Someone no one knew.

They all had their suspicions. Riley blamed Terrance for Mia. Terrance blamed Riley for the retaliation. The DeLuca’s were staying quiet but with the marriage between the Rossi family and theirs, that wasn’t a surprise. The Rossi family had retaliated on the Conti family, but refused to admit their involvement even with video proof.

Alessa knew more than she was supposed to about the feud. Blissful ignorance wasn’t safe. Being involved with the Chicago mob was a dangerous thing. Now, it was more dangerous than ever.

“We’re being good,” Alessa told her grandfather.

Terrance laughed. “Good is a relative term that rarely applies to you Trentini girls. Just keep your noses clean,
capisce
?”

“Yeah, we got it,” Abriella said.

“I’m going to find your brother and parents before calling it a night. I’ll see you both at my home
before
morning, yes? We’re having breakfast tomorrow, you both promised.”

Alessa had to force herself not to roll her eyes. “Of course.”

The two Trentini sisters wouldn’t want to anger their grandfather, after all. The best way to get what they wanted from Terrance was to bat their eyelashes, follow along with whatever schemes he had, and dazzle the crowd just the way he liked.

Alessa and Abriella had played these games for longer than they knew how to count.

“Joel will drag us home at an appropriate time,” Abriella assured their grandfather.

“Good.” Terrance waved a finger in the air, smiling. “Remember, there are a lot of eyes in here on you two tonight. Do not shame me, girls.”

When Terrance was gone, Alessa shot Abriella a look. “Is he serious?”

“As a heart attack,” her sister muttered. “I need a fucking drink.”

Turning, Alessa scanned the crowd of guests at the DeLuca-Rossi wedding. Abriella had been the bride’s maid of honor. Alessa spotted the bride dancing with one of her older brothers. Lily Rossi looked happy as Theo DeLuca spun her around and around. The groom was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s Damian?” Alessa asked.

Abriella shrugged. “Maybe he’s off with Tommas somewhere.”

Alessa eyed her unusually quiet sister. Abriella seemed withdrawn, which was odd. She liked a good party and tonight was a prime opportunity to let loose a little, even with the watchers.

“What is up?” Alessa asked.

“I’m twenty-one,” Abriella murmured. 

“So?”

Alessa was twenty. What difference did their age make to the conversation at hand?

Abriella nodded out toward Lily. “She’s happy, you know.”

“Seems like it.” Alessa was happy the arranged marriage worked out to Lily’s favor. A lot didn’t where a woman was concerned. Men of the families made all the calls and the women were just expected to follow along with no questions asked. “Damian is an okay guy.”

“He is,” Abriella agreed sadly.

“Seriously, what is up with you?”

Abriella shrugged. “I’m twenty-one, Alessa. How much longer before that’s me?”

Oh.

Alessa frowned. She didn’t want to dwell on it or have her sister worrying about it, either. “With all the crap going on in the Outfit, that’s probably the last thing on Terrance’s mind.”

Abriella scoffed. “Where in the hell have you been living for the last twenty years, Lissa?”

“With you.”

“Exactly. You know better. Feuds are the perfect time for arranged marriages, and we’re both aware of what that shit means.”

Abriella was right. More often than not, scores and wars were settled by spilled blood and joining families. Marriages wiped slates clean and made apologies that a man wouldn’t say otherwise. Alessa and Abriella were fresh meat for the market.

Goddammit.

Alessa sighed. “Sorry, you’re right. I just wanted to get your mind off it. We’re supposed to be having fun tonight.”

Abriella said nothing as she gazed across the dance floor. Alessa followed her sister’s stare to find Tommas Rossi leaning against a far wall in the shadows. The family Capo didn’t seem to have much interest in the crowd, but instead, he was watching Abriella, too.

Alessa wasn’t surprised.

“I guess Damian isn’t with his cousin,” Alessa said.

“Apparently not.”

Alessa knew what her sister was going to ask before the words could even leave Abriella mouth. “Go, Ella.”

Abriella chewed on her bottom lip, her gaze flitting over the people before darting back to Tommas. “Should I? Here?”

“If you don’t, he looks like he’s about to make his way over to you.”

The smallest smile tugged at the corners of Abriella’s mouth. Alessa’s older sister had a way about her. Ella was quiet and fierce. She had a stubbornness that could rival a mule and a crazy side that Alessa was a little jealous of.

Because the two sisters were only a year apart in age, they were close. Alessa knew her sister’s secrets, including the biggest one of them all. Tommas Rossi. The family Capo had been messing around with Abriella since she was eighteen. Alessa covered for her sister since they shared an apartment together and went to the same college.

Alessa didn’t mind.

“Be careful,” Alessa said.

Abriella nodded quickly. “I will.”

“Say hi for me and watch out for Joel,” Alessa warned.

“Will do.”

Abriella handed her empty drink off to a server as the man walked by. Without another word, she disappeared into the crowd, walking the opposite way from Tommas Rossi. Alessa watched with a smile growing as Tommas waited, watched the direction where Abriella went, and then made a beeline straight for the same spot.

The two played their game well.

Sighing, Alessa gaged the crowd again. While Damian and Lily Rossi weren’t exactly big time in the Chicago mob, the two had certainly given quite a show for the guests tonight. Lily’s brothers were both rival Capos and since her uncle had been the underboss in the Outfit before his death, merging in marriage to another family was a huge deal. Guests of the Outfit’s syndicates from all over the States had been invited to the wedding. Even a couple of the Guzzi family members from Canada had shown up to celebrate.

Alessa found her brother in the crowd, completely oblivious to the fact his sister had just disappeared with Tommas on her heels. Joel only gave a damn about Abriella and Alessa if they could do something for him. Otherwise, he was a lot like their grandfather in a way.

Don’t shame me.

Right.

Joel could be an entitled, cocky asshole. Just seeing him chatting with someone affiliated with the Vegas Cosa Nostra family made a chill run down Alessa’s spine. Joel Trentini only talked to syndicates when he was looking to set something up. Alessa tried to keep up to date with most of the important events in the Outfit. That way, little came as a surprise to her.

Nothing was happening other than the feud between the four major families and tonight, three of those families were sharing a space for the sake of a wedding. Maybe if it kept on this way, the Conti family would eventually be pacified into reconciling. Alessa hoped so.

She didn’t like the fact that her brother was making small talk with a syndicate like he didn’t want anyone else to hear. Little problems had a way of growing much bigger and Joel was sneaky sometimes. He thrived on drama when he figured he had something to win from it all.

The only thing her brother could possibly do was force the divide between the families wider. Alessa didn’t want to see the Conti family pushed further away than they already were. The DeLucas would surely follow the Conti side now that Ben DeLuca was dead after being shot at the Trentini home weeks ago. Theo and Dino DeLuca were much closer to the Conti family than the Trentinis.

The Rossi family was still a toss-up.

Where did that leave Adriano Conti?

Where did that leave Alessa?

Thinking about Adriano made a dull pain settle into Alessa’s heart. Adriano, Riley Conti’s only son, was another casualty in the Outfit’s mess. Because his father was fighting with Alessa’s grandfather, their families had been pushed apart. The two had never put any titles on one another that would get them into trouble with the Outfit. Adriano had been the one person who got close enough for her to let in besides her sister. She kept her heart protected, because her availability was never guaranteed as the granddaughter of the boss, but Adriano had a way of breaking through her walls.

Nothing was ever easy.

Alessa cleared her throat and downed the rest of her drink, not wanting to stay on those thoughts for long. A form crept in beside Alessa, making her tense. Dean Artino said nothing as he watched the guests mingle. Alessa wondered what game the guy was trying to play with her today.

Dean backed off on Alessa a lot over the years, but he still managed to insert his nasty self into her life every once in a while. Mostly, Adriano’s presence kept Dean at a safe distance. Her grandfather and brother had always considered Adriano a chaperone of sorts for Alessa, one that wouldn’t cross any lines and knew the rules.

They didn’t know a damn thing. Alessa and Adriano broke those rules in the back seat of his 1969 Camaro SS just after her seventeenth birthday.

But with the Conti and Trentini families fighting, Alessa was left without her
chaperone
. Dean had apparently taken notice as he’d been around a lot more lately, leaving Alessa feeling ickier than ever.

“Evening, Alessa.”

“Dean,” Alessa greeted politely.

She figured there was no reason to be rude to the man. Not yet, anyway.

“I didn’t see you at Ben DeLuca’s funeral,” Dean said, giving her a look from the side.

Alessa shrugged. “I was there.”

In the back, far away from Dean.

“Sad day,” Dean murmured.

“It was.”

Dean laughed. “No, I meant today.”

Alessa’s brow furrowed. “Why is today a sad day? The wedding was beautiful and the couple is happy. You can’t ask for much more than that.”

“DeLucas shouldn’t marry lower than their status,” Dean said in explanation. “That would be like Abriella running off to marry whoever she wanted. Lily married into the Rossi family. That’s a goddamn shame.”

“You forget your last name isn’t DeLuca, Dean.”

“My mother’s was.”

Alessa fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Just because Ben was my grandfather’s underboss—”

“Soon to be my father,” Dean interjected lowly.

“What?”

Dean grinned. The sight was almost predatory in nature. “With Ben gone, a seat needs filled in the family. Terrance might have looked to Riley as an underboss for a while but with the whole mess going on right now, that isn’t going to happen.”

“Dino DeLuca,” Alessa said instantly, referring to the bride’s oldest brother. “He’ll be considered the head of the DeLuca family with Ben dead.”

Dino was a Capo in good standing, and for the most part, ran a great portion of the DeLuca crew alongside his now deceased uncle, his brother Theo, and Dean’s father.

“He could easily step into Ben’s spot,” Alessa added.

“Sure he could,” Dean agreed. “Except that nasty trial he’s got coming up. Everybody knows Dino is going to spend the next twenty years behind bars, doing hard time. And before you toss out Theo DeLuca’s name, let me stop you. The guy is too young.”

Adriano was young, too
, Alessa thought,
but he had a great deal of control with the Conti crew. 

“Like you’re any better?” Alessa snorted indelicately. Her politeness had run its course where Dean was concerned. “You’re only twenty-two.”

“I said my father, not me.”

Alessa shivered, hating the very thought of Dean getting any higher in the mob than he was. As far as she knew, Dean wasn’t made, yet. His father, Walter, didn’t have a high enough standing to give his son the button just because he wanted to. Dean didn’t have the family clout behind him that others in the Outfit had.

But if his father was being considered for Terrance’s new underboss …

Christ.

That would all change.

“Such a shame,” Dean repeated quietly, shaking his head as he continued watching Lily Rossi dance with her brother. “I don’t know why Ben stood for that. She married down, Alessa. Ask anyone.”

Alessa didn’t have to. “She didn’t marry down. You’re just being a snob.”

Dean smirked. “You’re not any different. Besides, with my father higher, he’ll want to align me with someone of a strong name. How do you think you’ll feel about being an Artino?”

Oh, God.

“Not going to happen,” Alessa said shortly.

“You say that now …”

“I’ll say that forever.”

Alessa practically spat the words at him.

She hated this man.

Dean shrugged like it didn’t make a difference. “They’ll want to strengthen the families, Alessa. The war between the Conti and Trentini families has divided all of us in one way or another. Even if the DeLucas aren’t fighting with your family, we’re fighting with someone else’s family. Think about it. Your grandfather is mad at the Rossi family for retaliating on Riley Conti without his permission. Laurent Rossi is digging his heels in on the fact he didn’t do a thing, even though we all know he did.

“Somehow, they’re going to need to reinforce the bonds to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Dean said with a cold smile as he turned to stare Alessa down. “The best way to do that is to connect the families together again. Marriage sounds like a good plan, doesn’t it?”

“Do you want a wife who despises you?” Alessa asked.

Dean reached out and stroked Alessa’s cheek. She refrained from jerking away from him, but only because people would see. “I don’t mind a wife in need of training, Alessa. The good ones always need to be broken in first.”