Untraceable (32 page)

“
He was—was butchered last
night.”

She paused. First, she
wanted the correct amount of stunned surprise, and secondly, she
really was surprised. “What do you mean? Tell me
exactly
what
happened.”

“
We don’t know for
certain, but someone planned this very well. The guards were
gassed. We found them unconscious in the game room. Whatever was
used was quick. Their cards were scattered on the floor, their
drinks spilt; they didn’t run more than five feet before they
dropped and they don’t remember a thing. Darlene said
that—”

“
She’s alive?” she asked,
slightly annoyed. She didn’t tell Micah to kill her, but she had
half-hoped he would.

“
Yes. Whoever did this
tied, gagged, and blind folded her when she came into the bedroom
to go to sleep. All she could tell was that it was a man—one man.
He put her in the closet, but she could hear
everything.”

“
So what happened!” she
snapped.

“
I don’t think you
want—”

“
I
am
the new Boss of this family.
I
am
your Boss.
You
will
tell me
everything I need to know—and you will do it
now
or you will be
out! Do I make myself perfectly
clear?”

“
Did you order this,
Sharon?” he tersely questioned.

“
Ask me that again and
I’ll have you shot,” came her non-idle threat. “Tell me about my
father.” She could hear the older man’s frustration just from the
way he was breathing on the other end of the phone, but she doubted
he would continue to resist.

“
She said she heard the
struggle when your father entered the room. The man used a
silencer, but she definitely heard the muffled shots. He pushed him
onto the bed to shoot him because there are bullet holes through
the bloody pillows. Our men are digging the slugs out of the wall
now. He must have taken your father’s body down to a boat in the
river, and—”

“
Where is his
body?”

“
We don’t know.
We—“

“
Then how the hell do you
know he’s dead?” she questioned. She wanted proof.

“
There was blood
everywhere and because he—he,” Aldo stammered.

“
Just say it you old
son-of-a-bitch! Spit it out!”

“
He carved his heart out
and stuck it to the damn bedroom door!! Okay?! There!! Are you
happy now?”

She was honestly silent this time—she
wasn’t faking. Her smile slowly reappeared. I’ll be damned, she
thought, he actually did what I told him to do. “Make sure our men
are on the river for the next several days. I’m sure he dumped him,
but I don’t want someone else to find his body. We don’t need the
police involved.”

“
Boss,” he said and then
paused.

“
What?” She liked the
sound of being called Boss, and Aldo always was a prude for
protocol.

“
There is one more
thing.”

“
What?”

“
He left a note stuck in
the mess on the door.”

She swallowed, but tried to make sure
it wasn’t audible, “So what did it say?”

“
It said,” he began,
taking in a deep breath, “Compliments of the new Boss.”

Cute, Gavarreen, she thought, too damn
cute. “Well then I guess we should suspect someone to try and take
over our family, but they forgot something very important stands in
their way.”

“
What’s that?”

“
Me.”

The call ended.

She smiled as she touched the screen
on her phone, replaying the video she’d taken of her bedroom
encounter with Micah. She’d already watched it a least a dozen
times, and every time it increased her desire and need to have him
again. He didn’t know she had a camera in the room, and had he
figured it out and guessed her reasons, she most likely wouldn’t
have survived their night together. But she did survive it, and she
had never experienced anyone like Micah Gavarreen. He was a raw and
intensely savage, sexual man—she loved every second of teetering on
the edge of his control, and she made sure she kept him on that
edge all night. She thought about the fact that Micah, by killing
her father, had given her the deepest desire of her heart— and, in
considering that, she felt a strange emotion welling up inside that
was completely foreign. She didn’t understand love, but she did
understand possession. Micah would become her possession—forever.
She licked her lips and then smiled as she blew a kiss to her
phone, “Good job, Gavarreen. Now it’s my turn.” She dialed
Giovanni.

“
What do you want now?”
came his angry greeting.

“
Well,” she said with a
brief pause, “you may not believe this, but I wanted to let you
know our game is almost over. I’m afraid Gavarreen went ballistic
and killed my father in retaliation for me taking his wife. He’s
unintentionally boosted my rank; I’m the new Boss.”

“
Congratulations,” he
stated without emotion. “You must be so proud of
yourself.”

“
Answer me something
truthfully, Giovanni—with all the honesty due a Boss. Have you hurt
her? Did you screw her after our phone call?”

“
I know how to follow
orders.”

“
That’s not an answer.
Have you done anything to hurt her?”

“
No.”

“
Give me your solemn word
of truth.”

“
I give you my word; she
is unharmed. However, I will say it is becoming increasingly
difficult to keep your men away from her.”

“
I’ll speak to them; you
just make sure no one hurts her.”

“
Why the sudden concern
over her welfare? Did you suddenly realize you cannot control
him?”

She smiled, “Oh, I can control him,
but I told Micah she would be released unharmed.”

“
I am surprised. I had a
feeling you hated her.”

“
Trust me, Giovanni, I do
hate her. Hate her enough to allow her to live after I ruin the
most important thing in her world. When I’m through with him,
you’re going to do one final thing for me before you let her
go.”

“
What?”

“
I’m sending you a video.
When the time comes, I want you to make sure she watches
it.”

CHAPTER twenty-four

“
Why the hell didn’t you
tell me what was going on?” David asked, clearly angry with his
little brother. “And where are you?”

“
You didn’t need to
know.”

“
Since when do I
not
need to
know?”

“
David, shut up and listen
for a minute. There’s a plant in the Family—someone close to
Botachelli, and I think it’s your new capo.”

“
I know about the plant,
and it’s not him.”

“
Did you talk to
Gwen?”

“
Hell yes I talked to her.
Who else do you think she would call when she found out what you
were up against? Now, do you want to tell me where you’re at, or do
you want me to have to walk right into the Moretti Family office
and shoot that little bitch before she causes any more trouble? I
know she’s the one who has Leese.”

“
I’ll need your help at
some point, just don’t try to step in blind—you’ll end up getting
yourself killed, and I’ll never see Leese, again. I need the new
capo’s name.”

“
You don’t want to know,”
he paused for a deep breath. “I’m trying to figure this out, but
the only one who would really benefit would be Rizzo.”

”
I’m ninety-nine percent
sure it’s not Rizzo, but your capo is new and—”

“
No, it’s not the new
capo. And, you’re right, ever since Rizzo made underboss four years
ago, he’s been pretty much flawless.”

“
Did Botachelli make you
take an oath of silence about the new capo?”

“
No. Just believe me when
I say he’s not the leak.”

There was an unusual tone to David’s
voice. Something about this new capo wasn’t right. This guy was too
secretive. Those within the Family rarely ever had their identity
shielded from the other members. “Well, I think he is,” Micah
stated, his temper starting to show through his words.

“
What about Jerry? He’s
had his nose shoved so far up Botachelli’s ass since he made
associate last year that he’s around him constantly. Even
Botachelli said he’s starting to think the guy is
dirty.”

Micah could tell that David was trying
to change the direction of the conversation. “You’ve never liked
any of the capos—what’s different about this one? What’s his
name?”

“
You want my opinion? I
say Jerry is the most likely—”

“
If you don’t tell me what
you know about the new capo, then I’ll just find out from
Botachelli.”

“
He’s not going to tell
you.”

“
I’ll find
out.”

“
Just like I’m going to
find out what you’re not telling me?” came the sarcastic reply. “I
heard news of a big hit last night, Micah—it has all the marks of
something you would have been able to pull off.”

Micah knew the news of the hit would
travel fast through the surrounding Families. Bosses are rarely
ever targeted, but when they are, everyone goes on alert. “I need a
name!” he growled in frustration.

“
You really want to know?!
You don’t trust me enough to believe me when I say he isn’t the one
you want?”

“
I need to know everything
about him.”

“
Well, then I guess I
should tell you he
is
working for Sharon, but he’s not the leak.”

This was more riddle than Micah’s
temper could stand, “You knew this? You stupid bastard! He’s got to
be the plant! He’s—”

“
He’s you.”

“
What?” He thought he
misunderstood what David said.

“
That’s how I know he’s
not the leak; you’ve been my capo. You just didn’t know it until
now.”

Micah was dumbfounded.

“
Not long after we took
you in front of the Family and Botachelli said he wasn’t releasing
you until you cleaned up the D’Angelo disaster, I told him whatever
needed to be done—I’d take your place.”

A knot formed instantly in Micah’s
throat. This was why Botachelli agreed to let him be just an
advisor? This was why he hadn’t been called back to Louisiana, and
why David had been spending so much time away? He couldn’t believe
it. Everything he told Botachelli needed to happen, every snake
he’d helped move into the organization for D’Angelo that he told
Botachelli to hit—all of it—he’d been putting his brother on the
line. “Why, David?” was all he could manage to ask.

“
You’re my brother,” he
stated with an emotional pause. “You wanted a shot at happiness
with Leese, and I knew it wouldn’t happen any other
way.”

“
But—but you and Nadia?
You—”

“
I only agreed to do
whatever you told Botachelli needed to be done. I told him, after
this was over, I want out, too.”

“
Does Nadia know about
Leese?”

“
She knows.”

“
How is she? I know she’s
gotta be freaking out.”

“
You know I worried about
that too, but she’s actually a very strong woman.”

Micah finally felt a reason to smile.
It seemed his brother was developing a sensitive side, but then
again, it didn’t surprise him; Leese did the same thing to him.
“Are they safe?”

“
I’m scrambled, are you?”
David asked referring to his signal scrambler on his
phone.

“
Absolutely.”

“
Were in Nova Scotia right
now.”

“
Perfect. Mom covered your
trail?”

“
Like a pro, as usual.
You’ve got to tell me what the hell you’re doing? Are you the one
who hit Vitale?”

The moment of silence seemed far too
long.

“
Yes.”

“
Shit, Micah—you’re
creating one hell of a nightmare. If she loses her grip on that
clan, they’ll be after you.”

“
She’ll lose it, I’m sure.
I’m still trying to figure out what she’s using for a bargaining
chip, but it’s who is backing her who’s the real
problem.”

“
Don’t tell me she’s in
bed with Caprizio.”

Micah gave a bitter laugh, “I don’t
know if she’s slept with him, but that won’t matter when he tears
both Families apart.”

“
Damn, I’d been hoping all
along that you were wrong about him.”

“
It turns out that my
wife’s Italian architect was mafia—specifically, a trainee under
Caprizio.”

“
Does Botachelli
know?”

“
Yeah.”

“
I’m flying back to the
States tomorrow—you just tell me which airport.”

“
Find the leak,
David—that’s all I need right now.”