Page 307 of John + Siena: The Complete Duet

Marcello men.

Enforcers.

Capos.

Trusted people.

Each had a gun in hand, though they kept the weapons lowered, and pointed to the ground at their front. Each man came to stand behind every standing Calabrese man, though they didn’t speak, and in fact, didn’t even look the other men in the eyes.

“I really don’t mind wiping a family out and starting over,” John said, shrugging. “It actually seems like the easier thing to do, but this takes work, too. Building a family, and working the streets takes time. I figure it will be far more beneficial for all of us to simply … accept what’s going to happen, and move on to better success.”

“You can’t be fucking serious,” one of the men said.

John’s gaze drifted to the Marcello man standing behind the Capo who spoke up. His head subtly moved to the side, and the man lifted the gun, and put it to the back of the man’s head.

“You will, from this day forward, refer to me in only the best of ways, and with the utmost respect. You will stand when I enter a room as you should do for your boss, and you will behave as proper made men should in a family. Should I find out you even breathed a slur against me—call me crazy, inept, or anything—you will quickly find your way into a grave.”

John smile, and leaned forward as he pointed a finger at the men. “You are all replaceable. Never think different. I do not care how long you have been a made man, or what got you to this point. You will respect me, or I will be forced to teach you how to respect me. I would much rather leave it to you to figure out.”

Then, John looked over at Siena, and gave her a brief smile. “And my girl—Siena. You will see her quite frequently. With me, or at my home. She is an important presence in my life, and she is to be treated as such. She is to be treated with the same care and respect you would give to your mother, sister, or even your wife. As you want other made men to treat the women in your life, I expect the same. She is not your pet, or your servant. She does not answer to you, and what she does choose to do for you, you are to thank her each and every time you are graced with her presence.

“I intend for her to be my wife, and I expect you to treat her accordingly,” John said with a wave of his hand.

Siena’s throat tightened at those words. Of course, she wanted to marry John. She wanted to be with him forever—but he not used that word with her. He had not yet asked her, but still, happiness slipped through her veins like a drug.

“Do not make me regret choosing this way with you,” John said. “Do not make me think the easier route would have simply been cleaning house one by one. That option, by the way, is still very much alive.”

Instantly, every man but one sat when John stood from his chair. Siena could not hide her smile, but her concerned gaze drifted to the one man who had stayed standing.

“Do you have something to say?” John asked the man.

“I will not—”

John swept his hand in a sharp motion, and the sound that followed was both deafening, and morbid. The Marcello man standing behind the Calabrese Capo had raised his weapon faster than Siena could catch the move.

Now, the Capo was dead. His body slumped over the beautiful, large cherry oak dining table. His blood from the back of his blown out head mixed in with the ruddy brown of the shined table top.

John sighed, and then waved at the rest of the men. “Shall we start, then?”

Sometimes, a forceful show was the way to go.

Siena couldn’t be prouder.

Siena made a run for the front door, and grabbed the bowl of mini chocolate bars on the way. “I got it this time, John!”

“I like to see them, too.”

He slid in behind her with a grin just as she opened the door to showcase three little boys and one little girl in various ninja costumes. They were by far some of the cutest that had come through for Halloween.

Bending down, Siena held the bowl out for the kids to pick their favorite treats from the mix. “Go ahead, boys … and girl.”

The little girl with the pink and black ninja costume preened at Siena. “I’s can be a ninja, too!”

“You can be whatever you want to be,” Siena told her.

John chuckled in the doorway, and helped her to say goodbye to the kids. Once they had darted back down the steps to where their parents were waiting, she and John headed back inside the house.

“Okay, those were my favorites of the night,” she declared, setting the bowl aside.