Page 9 of Fix You

After bringing her hand to my lips, I gave her a regretful smile. “Both my cock and myself are extremely sorry to cut our evening short, but I’m going to have to ask for a rain check.”

Suspicion flooded Alyssa’s face. “What kind of business could you possibly have after midnight?”

The smile slid from my lips. “That’s private.”

From the fear flashing in her eyes, I could tell she finally believed the voices of doubt in her head about who my family and myself really were. Her mind was reeling with the images of my bodyguard, the thick glass on the SUV, how I was a man in black.

At the shudder than ran through her, I could tell that she was grateful our time had been cut short because she wanted nothing to do with a man like me. Refusing to look at me, her trembling fingers punched the down button relentlessly until the doors finally closed.

Once the elevator had started back down, I turned to my father. “This better be a matter of life and death.”

“Ten minutes ago, I received a call from Tazio in Palermo.”

Tazio was one of our many cousins in Sicily who oversaw our businesses and alliances. As the son of Father’s younger brother,he was the highest-ranking member of the family there since my uncle’s death.

Slanting my brows, I asked, “Has there been an attack on one of our shipments or our other interests?”

Father shook his head. “It’s about Caterina.”

My heart twisted in agony at the mention of the only woman in the world I loved. As a range of terrifying scenarios played through my mind, I fought to breathe. Three years ago, my baby sister had joined the Sacred Heart–a missionary order of nuns. Her decision wasn’t about being an overly devout Catholic girl. It was her only way of escaping the impending arranged marriage sanctioned by our father.

As children of a capo, there was no running away in our world–you only left the mafia life in a bodybag. In Caterina’s case, her only way out came because the one thing my father remotely feared was God. He might’ve been torturing late into the night or fucking one of his mistresses, but you could bet his ass would be at mass in the morning.

“What about her?” I demanded.

“A group of men broke into the Sacred Heart and kidnapped her.”

Caterina’s smiling face flashed before my eyes, sending me staggering back. Fuck. This couldn’t be happening. “But I just spoke to her earlier today to wish her a happy birthday.”

During lunch, I’d dragged my younger brothers, Leandro and Gianni, into my office so we could Facetime her. While there hadn’t been much love between my parents and their children, the bond my siblings had with each other was intense. I’d do anything for them, and they would for me. As the baby and only girl, Caterina had always been spoiled by us. Although she should’ve been a brat, she had the kindest and purest heart of anyone I’d ever known.

It was still unfathomable that she was spending her twenty-first birthday in a religious order, or that in a few short years she would take her final vows and officially be a nun. While it was horrible to admit it, I held out hope something would happen to our father so that Caterina would be free. As long as I drew breath, I would never force my sister into a marriage.

“Tazio said it happened around midnight Palermo time.”

“He’s absolutely certain?”

“Yes. After the Mother Superior alerted the authorities in Palermo, they of course called Tazio.”

I ran my hand over my face. “Who would do such a thing? I mean, it can’t be as simple as retaliation against us considering she’s a civilian in a religious order.”

“It’s retaliation, but it’s not in the way you think. Caterina is a young woman of marriageable age from a powerful family.”

My chest tightened further. Caterina had tried to escape being a pawn in our world, and it had all been for nothing. “You think someone kidnapped her into marriage?”

“It’s the only answer.”

“Do we have any idea who it could be?”

“One of the sisters claimed the men had an Irish accent.”

“Fuck!” I snarled as I started pacing in the foyer. My anger and desperation converged on the floral arrangement on the table. Snatching it up, I flung it against the wall. The glass vase shattered, sending glass raining down onto the floor.

“Stupido cazzo! Get a hold of yourself!” Father shouted.

“I can’t help it. At the thought of what she’s been subjected to…the fear she has to be feeling…” I shook my head furiously from side to side. “I could destroy this entire place.”

“What a fucking failure of a capo you’ll be,” Father muttered.

---