AllFreeNovel
Share Us
My fists clench. That explains my father and brother’s absence. “Is that really necessary?”
I understand their need for revenge, but shouldn’t they be allowed to mourn the loss of a man who meant so much to all of us?
A sheen appears in Rosa’s eyes. “He’s the Don now. His word is law.”
My eyes bulge as it hits me. I hadn’t even thought about that. “Oh, God. I just realized Roman’s in control now. Everyone’s screwed. There must be a party down in hell.”
It’s a small victory, but I manage to get Rosa to smile at that. A small, tiny smile, but it’s enough.
She bumps her shoulder into my side. “Don’t be mean.”
I shrug. Then my expression sobers. “How is he, though? How’s everybody?”
She sighs. “Well, Roman hasn’t said a word since yesterday except to bark orders at everyone and everything. He has shut down, which is typical. Your dad is pretty much the same. He has this haunted look in his eyes.”
Pain flits across my chest at that. My dad and Ricardo were best friends. He was the closest person to the Don apart from Vincent. I’m sure Dad is blaming himself right now.
Rosa continues, “Your brother hugged me and told me he was sorry. Michael’s walking around with a bullet wound on his shoulder.”
I gasp. “What?”
“He got shot yesterday. He stayed still enough for the doctor to remove the bullet, but he’s refusing any other medical treatment until Vincent is captured. They’re all itching for revenge. We lost Miguel, too. And three other men. I can’t blame them for pushing aside their grief.”
“They’ll be okay,” I murmur soothingly.
We take a seat in the living room and she rests her head on my shoulder. I pull her closer, rubbing her arm. I hate that I returned home in the middle of a disaster. But there’s no other place I’d rather be than by my family’s side during this moment of utter devastation.
We’re still talking when we hear the front door open. We both get to our feet, heading to the foyer. I spot Roman first, followed by Tony and Michael. They all look worse for wear, haggard, tired. I try not to flinch at the sight of the blood spatter on the sleeve of Tony’s shirt. None of them look surprised to see me here. I open my mouth to speak but Rosa beats me to it.
“Is it over? Did you get him?”
Michael’s the one to reply. “Not yet, Rosa.”
“Are you guys okay? Where’s Dad?” I question.
“Dad’s taking care of things on the Upper East Side, problems with a couple investors,” my brother replies. “Good to see you home,mi hermana.”
I smile. Roman clears his throat, drawing our attention. I finally look at him—really look at him.
Thick, wavy dark hair, cheekbones so sharp they could chisel ice, and eyes the color of the night sky. His broad shoulders fill out the white shirt he’s wearing. Everything about Roman De Luca screams power and confidence. He exudes sex appeal. He’s probably the most good-looking man I’ve ever seen. He reminds me of the mythological sirens. They reel you in with their beautiful faces and voices and then drown you.
Right now, though, he looks worse than I’ve ever seen him. I open my mouth to ask how he is but decide against it. If I’m lucky, he’ll ignore me; if I’m not, he’ll say something cutting, reminding me how much I dislike him and why. He’s going through a lot. The best thing I can do is keep my distance.
His eyes are also on me, assessing. He hasn’t seen me in over a year. He shakes his head slightly before turning to my brother.
“We don’t have time for pleasantries. You two get changed. We meet the D’Angelos in thirty minutes,” Roman says before walking away.
The D’Angelos? The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t put my finger on it. Before I can question my brother, he shakes his head. He offers me a slight smile and squeezes my shoulder before following the new Don.
Michael stops in front of me to place a kiss on my cheek. “Welcome home, Lena,” he says warmly. Then he’s gone, too.
CHAPTER4
Roman
There are five mafia families in New York: the De Lucas, the D’Angelos, the Gallos, the Russos and the Mincettis. The Gallos are new. They recently rose to power after the Desantos were crushed into dust by the D’Angelos.
The three most powerful families are inarguably mine, the D’Angelos, and the Mincettis. From what we can tell, the Mincettis are mostly Italians but they have a couple of Russians sprinkled into their mix. They’re practically ghosts. Not a lot is known about them. My family is pretty low-key, but the Mincettis are on a whole other level. No one knows the identity of the Don or any members of his family. They conduct their businesses under aliases. What makes them powerful is their invincibility. We have no idea how rich they are, how much power they hold. No one crosses the Mincettis. If you do, you usually don’t live to tell the story.
