AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You fucking called the cops. Again. After we had an agreement.”
I watch the exchange silently, my eyes narrowing as I study Rinella's face. He appears baffled. He's good, I'll give him that.
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Cops raided my downtown office. Cuffed my sister.” Elio seethes, and it will only be a matter of moments before he reaches across Rinella’s desk to throttle him. “You have a problem with me, Rinella, you take it out on me. Not on my sister.”
Rinella's face contorts with anger. His voice rises, echoing off the opulent walls of his study. "How dare you come into my home and accuse me.”
“Only a pussy ass coward comes after family,” Elio sneers.
Rinella’s door opens and his eighteen-year-old daughter, Ava, enters. Her eyes widen as she takes in the tense scene before her. She stops short. “Oh… sorry, I didn’t know you had company.”
The poor girl has no idea what she's just stumbled into. For a moment, I almost feel sorry for her.
Elio catches Matteo’s eye, giving him a nod. In a quick move, Matteo grabs Ava, pulling her against him, one hand banding her body and arms, the other holding her neck. The girl lets out a startled gasp, her eyes wide in fear.
I want to object, but I won’t dare do anything against Elio. Not in front of Rinella.
Rinella's underboss reacts instantly, his hand flying to his weapon.
“Don’t!” Rinella says. “You could hit my daughter.”
The air in the room grows thick with tension. My heart races in fear. Rinella has more men here, I’m sure of it. We could be outnumbered in an instant.
"Let her go," he growls, his voice low and dangerous.
I glance at Elio, silently questioning our next move. This is a precarious situation. One wrong move could send us tumbling into chaos. I hope he has a plan.
“How does it feel, Rinella, to have a member of your family threatened?”
“Fucking let her go, Elio.”
“What? You don’t seem to have any problem harassing me and what’s mine. My sister was cuffed today, you fucking asshole. After you assured me that all was good between us.”
“Maybe we can take a breath,” I say, earning a glare from Elio.
But Rinella seems to hear me. He sucks in a deep breath and holds up his hands as if my brother is a skittish cat. “I assure you that whatever happened to Lana today was not my doing. Let my daughter go now, and I’ll let this offense pass.”
Elio’s jaw tightens. "You think you can use the cops to harass us? To humiliate Lana?” Elio steps forward, and Rinella’s man lifts his gun. My breath holds.
“Let me make this crystal clear. Any harm that comes to Lana, any more 'anonymous tips' to the police, will be considered an act of war."
Not long ago, I was harassing my brother for not being aggressive enough with Rinella. Right now, I’m worried this behavior might get us all killed in Rinella’s office.
The tension in the room is suffocating. Rinella's man shifts nervously, unsure whether to act or stand down. Ava whimpers in Matteo's grip.
Taking a deep breath, my voice is steady and composed as I speak to Elio. "I believe he’s received your message loud and clear. There's no need for further… demonstrations." I turn to Matteo, who's still holding Ava in a tight grip. "Matteo, release her. Now."
For a moment, Matteo hesitates, his eyes darting between me and Elio. I give him a subtle nod, silently conveying that it's okay to stand down. With obvious reluctance, he loosens his hold on Ava.
The girl doesn't waste a second. As soon as Matteo's arms drop, she bolts toward her father, her eyes wide with fear and shock. Rinella pulls her close, his protective stance at odds with the calculating look in his eyes.
I keep my expression neutral, but inside, I'm relieved. Although we’re not out of the woods yet.
"I trust we understand each other now,” Elio says.
Rinella gives a curt nod, but I don’t imagine this tension is over. We leave, our lives intact.
