“I don’t want any additional bloodshed.” I realized my hand was shaking as I attempted to pour the drink, beads of the expensive liquor sloshing out over the rim.
“An eye for an eye, Kelan.” Aleksei grabbed his own glass, pouring a hefty amount of vodka. “Besides, you can’t control a turf war without retaliating. You can’t show weakness in any regard. If you believe Saltori is involved, take him out today.”
“Yeah, well, I’m not programmed that way.” I knew I had to take a strong stand, hitting back hard in order to keep my father’s various businesses going. I just didn’t have the stomach for his brand of brutality. Aleksei seemed miffed. Why I’d joined the alliance I had no idea, maybe to stay informed from a distance.
Aleksei spouted off something in Russian, no doubt condemning me to hell.
“There might be another way initially to take control, but ultimately you’re going to have to make a dramatic statement,” Dominick suggested.
I glanced in his direction, amused at the way his eyes had regained their twinkle. He was by far the most cunning of the others. “Should I ask?”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. “Take a look. Did some searching on the plane when you mentioned the Massimo name.”
I hesitated before reaching out, easing my drink to the bar counter before opening it. The beautiful woman staring at me in the photograph immediately stirred my cock. She was breathtaking with huge luscious brown eyes and glossy black hair, her pursed mouth meant for hours of passion. I could just imagine her lips wrapped around my throbbing shaft. “Do I know her?” I passed off the picture to the others.
“Francesca Alessandro. She’s the only daughter of Antonio Alessandro, a true princess.” Dominick kept his grin as he answered.
“That means what exactly?” I asked the question in an offhanded manner. I knew of the Alessandro family: very powerful and vindictive in their particular manners of business.
Aleksei whistled. “A beautiful woman and very wealthy. Or I should say, she will be extremely wealthy on the day she weds. She’s set to inherit over five hundred million dollars, or so I’ve heard. She is special to Antonio. He would kill anyone who dared touch her without his consent. Yet the man is willing to sell her off to a pig.”
“You seem to know quite a bit about Italian families,” Miguel taunted.
Snarling, Aleksei flashed a look of anger. “If you spent more time learning about your enemies then your family’s wealth would be much greater.”
“Calm the fuck down,” Dominick hissed. “This could affect all of us if not handled carefully. What’s to stop the Massimos from trying to acquire a larger piece of the pie, including New York or Philadelphia?”
“The fuckers wouldn’t stand a chance,” Aleksei hissed.
“Who is she destined to marry?” I asked again. Dominick had a point. The hits could be just the tip of the iceberg.
Dominick sauntered closer. “She is set to marry Vincenzo Saltori two days from now. My understanding is that this is an arranged marriage. Came on fairly quickly too. The union will provide significant wealth, the connections worth almost as much as the money.”
“As I said, the man is nothing but a pig,” Aleksei snarled.
“Shit. Perfect,” Lorenzo muttered under his breath.
“What. The. Fuck?” My anger turned into rage, spots forming in front of my eyes. Everything, including the movie had been a setup. If I’d been closer to my father, I might have picked up on the scheme months ago. “If that’s the case, they can easily crush my father’s hold on California and the entire West Coast.”
“Exactly,” Dominick said, smiling. He inched even closer. “You need to do something about this.”
“What the hell can I do at this point?” I knew the answer already, could figure out exactly where Dominick was going with his warped mind.
“You can stop the marriage and put a stake in the sand,” Aleksei answered.
I looked from one to the other, my adrenaline increasing. What I knew of the Italian mafia was that they were extremely vindictive. Touching her in any manner would mean certain death. “Meaning?”
The four others waited, remaining quiet.
“Oh, fuck, no! I’m not kidnapping an innocent woman.”
“Excellent control method if you ask me. Sweet pussy while you take out the Saltoris,” Lorenzo commented, lifting his glass.
“She’s not innocent, Kelan. She’s an Italian princess who’s lived a life of luxury at the expense of many others. Her father is a ruthless man himself, having worked with the Massimos for decades and his father before him. She knows exactly how rich she’ll be when she marries one stupid slacker of an American.” Dominick’s statement was vehement.
Dominick was serious. I stormed out of the back door, heading closer to the pool. When I heard a single pair of footsteps behind me, I snarled. “This is bullshit! Far too fucking complicated.”
He flanked my side, staring out at the water. “Maybe so, my friend, but there is no other way short of killing every one of Louis’ men and putting a bullet in the man’s brain. My guess is he’ll be waiting for that level of retaliation. Now that your father is incapacitated, they’ll start shutting down his business connections, cutting off supplies and easily undermining everything your father has worked to achieve. This will be completely unexpected. And effective. And trust me, she’s not innocent by any means.”
I thought about the idea, my stomach churning. I knew this day would arrive. I’d always known I’d be tossed into the family’s business. Some called me a ruthless man, unforgiving and even dangerous. I suppose in some ways I was but escalating my barbarian nature wasn’t going to be easy. However, as my father always reminded me, my true nature was absolute domination.
Of business.
Of our enemies.
Of women.
Perhaps he’d been right all along. I could feel a change in my mind, a hunger burning in my gut that I’d squelched through years of practice. My anger and passion had been shifted to the art of making movies. No longer.
“My mother regretted the day she married my father. She begged me to get out of the family any way I could. She made me promise to make a stand, to make her proud.” I issued the words as I had several times before. Only on this day, they held an entirely different meaning.
Dominick quietly sipped his drink for a full minute. “You are a Cappalini whether you like it or not. You can change your name, hide your identity, and find a job that has nothing to do with your father’s business, but you are what you are. Right now, you have no other choice but to do what’s necessary. No matter what you do in life, your mother will always be proud of you. You are her son, her pride and joy.” He patted me on the shoulder and turned, hesitating briefly. “And remember something. Your mother knew exactly what she was getting into when she married your father. There is no time for regrets or second guessing. You have an entire Borgata family waiting for your leadership.”
I shrugged, shaking my head.
“It’s entirely up to you, Kelan, but if you do nothing, dozens, even hundreds of people will lose their lives. I will tell you this much. You are in just as much danger as your father is.”
“I can take care of myself.” Dominick was right. While a soldier would be guarding my father twenty-four/seven, I knew whoever had initiated the execution would try to finish the act. Just a matter of time. I’d already seen one report that certain party favor supplies were down. Could be a product of the chatter on the street or a beginning of the takeover.