Page 69 of Covert
Chapter forty-two
Nikki
Later that evening, Natalie and I are getting to know each other in my bedroom. I don't trust that we don't still have listening devices in my room, so I try to keep things casual, about the boys and how good they're doing. How happy they are, or were.
Suddenly, there's a knock on my door. "Come in," I say, standing at the foot of the bed, in front of Nat.
The man who drove my brother opens the door and comes inside, a finger in front of his lips. He bends to make sure Nat sees him too, before shutting the door behind him. My brother said I could trust him, but I'm still wary. Trust is hard to earn in this family. I trust Angelo, but this man needs to earn my trust as well.
He pulls a small metal wand from his back pocket with one hand and hands me a folded piece of paper with the other. Curiously, I open the paper while he turns the wand on and runs it along the door frame, the baseboards, the lamp, everything.
"This is Damiano. One of my men. I've taken Enzo out as your bodyguard and replaced him with Damiano. I'm working on getting rid of Joey, too. Damiano is checking your room for listening devices or cameras. Do not talk freely until he gives you the okay." Written in my brother's handwriting. Enzo and Joey have been taking shifts outside my door as guards. Both are my father's men.
I nod to Damiano before handing the paper to Natalie. She reads it, her mouth silently forming the words as she reads. She looks back upand nods her understanding. I grab a pen from my nightstand and flip the paper back over.
"I need to get a message to Maddox and Axel. Tell them I have Natalie and that she's safe and under my care now. I'll try to get her out as soon as possible."
"We're clean."
I shake my head in dark amusement. Our father thinks so little of me that he didn't think to bug my room. He assumed I was the same scared little girl who left, who would easily fall back into submission. Well, his underestimating me is going to be his downfall.
"Matteo and I are loyal to you and your brother. We'll be your guards from now on. Your brother is coming to see you this afternoon to come up with a game plan." I nod, suddenly serious. "How are you holding up from the dark?"
"I'm fine," I say dismissively, waving a hand in front of my face as if I can wave away the migraine that's plagued me since.
He narrows his eyes at me, sensing the lie, but he's smart enough not to challenge me on it. He takes his post outside my bedroom. Natalie and I put on a movie while we wait for my brother.
That afternoon, there's another knock on the door. It's Angelo.
I hug him. Because I can. Because I couldn't for nearly ten years, and I haven't quite gotten over how badly I missed him. He holds me with the tenderness only he possesses. We didn't have a normal brother-sister relationship growing up because we were both put through years of torture training and abuse. We were each other's best friends; only friends.
"You doing okay?" he asks, referencing the beating and darkness.
"I'm fine. I'll be a lot better when we have a plan."
"I've been thinking about that," he replies, motioning for us to sit on the little couch in my room. "I think it's time for a regime change."
I nod. I'd been thinking similarly. The only way I get free again is by removing our father from the equation. He sees me and Angelo as mere pawns in his game. He has no love, no compassion for either of us. I wouldn't be surprised if he were a diagnosed psychopath.
"So, how do we do that? And I want Natalie protected. Even better if we can get her out."
Angelo shakes his head. "It'd be too risky right now. We need to not raise any red flags. We'll give you a week or two to 'recover' from the darkness, but then I need you to be the perfect princess again. Dad's already talking about marrying you off to Vitale Jr."
Damnit. That confirms my suspicions. "You'll go along with it, with whatever he says. I'll have a package delivered to you tonight. Dosies on all of our men. I'll come to check on you every afternoon or evening, and we can come up with a game plan to either turn them all or eliminate them."
I nod and smile. We're actually doing this. It'll take time, for sure, but it's a solid plan. Once Dad's out of the picture, Angelo can take over, and I can finally be free.
For good.
Chapter forty-three
Maddox
We closed the shop and postponed all of our appointments indefinitely. There's no way we'll be able to focus and work, knowing he was back with her family. Days turn into weeks; weeks turn into months, and we still haven't heard anything from her. She said she would send Axel her tracker info, but so far, we haven't heard from her. It's like my sister's disappearance all over again, and I'm sick with worry. I haven't been able to eat or sleep unless it's at the bottom of a bottle.
Axel's been tucked away in his room, only coming out for beef jerky and Dr. Pepper. Beckett has kept to his room, too. He's been reading her notebook front to back and watching the videos of them together on repeat. Diesel has been riding through the streets of Northern Virginia and DC, looking for what, I have no idea. It's not like she's going to randomly appear on the sidewalk.
And me? I've been slowly going insane. How can you find the mafia if the mafia doesn't want to be found? I can't go to clubs and casinos and shit and start asking if anyone knows anyone in the mafia.
