Page 15 of Captivated

“No, I’ve got that covered.”

“Alright.”

Hanging up, I back out of Cassie’s driveway and drive down the block, only to turn around and park across the street and a few houses down so she thinks I left.

It takes about fifteen to twenty minutes for a car to pull up behind me, and I get out to talk to him.

“You’re watching that house there.” I point to Cassie’s. “If anyone comes or goes out of the door on the left, or if there’s anything or anyone suspicious, call me. Don’t be seen if you can help it, but intervene in anything if you need to. The woman is the priority, understand? She has red hair. You’ll know it’s her.”

“I understand.”

“Give me your number.” He prattles off his number and I text him so he has mine. “And your name?” I ask as an afterthought.

“Rocco.”

“I’m trusting you, Rocco. Don’t let me down.”

“I won’t.”

I nod my agreement and take one last look at her house before climbing in my car and driving back to The Aces.

After a hot shower, I lie down and stare at the ceiling. The minutes pass by until I can’t take it anymore. I grab my phone and text Cassie.

Me:Night, Cassandra.

I want her to know I’m thinking of her and I want her to have my number. I had Stefano look it up and give it to me after our weekend together, but I haven’t used it yet. That doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about it, though.

I want to make sure she’s okay, I want her to tell me what’s going on, and I want her to ask me for help.

Fuck.

I’m fucked.

Getting up, I go to the mini fridge and pull out three small bottles of whiskey and pour them all into a glass. I check my phone again. She’s read it, but she hasn’t responded.

Cassie is the only one who’s successfully gotten me – the most level-headed of the family – to go just a little crazy. And after tonight, a lot crazy.

I collapse into one of the club chairs by the window and look down at the boardwalk lights flashing – memories of when I was a kid flickering on the periphery of my mind. When my dad ran The Aces, Vinny and I had Atlantic City as our playground when we came to visit. We would run around the boardwalk playing games, eating fried food, and going on rides until one of us threw up. Usually Vinny.

We had fun, Vinny and I. Dad always let us do whatever we wanted when we were here because he knew how strict our lives back in New York were. I used to hate that we lived apart, but I understood why. He wanted us to go to school with our cousins, and train and learn the family business alongside them.

We lived with our mom in an apartment in our family’s building in the city. When Vinny graduated high school, he moved to AC to work with Alec and our dad to learn the business here. He loves it. I, on the other hand, prefer New York. That citymade me the man I am, and being Leo’s right-hand man, and third in command, is the job I know I’m best suited for.

I’m mostly by myself, I don’t have the weight of the family on my shoulders 24/7, I don’t run a small city, and I get to make sure my family is safely heading in the right direction.

It’s not that Leo doesn’t have a level head himself. Same with Luca, his brother and underboss. I’m just the quiet man two steps to the side and behind them that’s there when they need me.

We all carry the power of the Carfano name.

No matter our position or role we play, each of us – every immediate descendant to my father and uncles and aunts – carries power.

But with power, comes a target on your back. And with that, comes an isolation within your family and a lack of trust for anyone else. A result of that, is a loneliness I’ve only known to fill with women who I get close enough to to fuck, but then it’s over and I move on to the next. I never see a woman for longer than a night. I don’t want them to get attached, and I certainly don’t want to get attached.

But then Cassandra happened, and I haven’t been the same since. I broke my rules and got attached. I spent the whole weekend with her and became addicted.

I check my phone every few minutes, waiting for her response, but nothing comes.

I send a quick text to the guy watching her, and he promptly replies that there’s been no movement in or around her house thus far.

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