Page 55 of Mine to Love
It’s then that Giuseppe Arnaud appears, quiet and unassuming, the same as he did the day I ordered him to fire that classless bartender. He walks cautiously behind the bar as I continue to sip my bourbon, enjoying it to the last drop. I’m surehe’s tried calling for help by now. Just like I’m sure he knows none is coming. He’s old enough to know how deep the Amato organization runs in this city. Alister or no Alister, Mafia or no Mafia, the legacy lives on. I was wrong to think it wouldn’t. His, on the other hand…
“You know who I am,” I say, setting my empty glass down as Giuseppe finally positions himself in front of me. Only the bar separates us.
“Yes.” His voice wavers as I smile and cock my head to the side. The way of the Mafia has always been a mysterious thing, especially in cities as old as New Orleans. Most of the newer residents and business owners are oblivious to our existence. If they know anything, it’s through rumor or random encounter. Yet, I’ve found a way to bend them to my will in exchange for access. The red cards I distribute as needed—like when the restaurant didn’t have mac and cheese on the menu—get people into clubs, restaurants, and parties. The Amatos do own over half of New Orleans’ legitimate businesses in addition to their drug empire. The old families of New Orleans, though, the original immigrants of this melting pot of a city, know the truth. Whether by name or the rings on our fingers, they know. They also know we protect our own. We protect our city, which keeps them quiet and hospitable. Cross us, and even the most esteemed families will be turned to ash—wiped from the earthandthe history books.
Lifting my eyes to his, I can smell his fear. Sweat beads on his forehead as his eyes widen and his lips part. “And you know why I’m here,” I say. It’s not a question. I may not know how long he was informing Serena of our movements, but Xander found enough proof to know he’s the rat. I guess that’s the perks of frequenting very few places. We knew it had to be someone hiding in plain sight since we’d already interrogated everycartel member unearthed in the city. That made it easier. And, thankfully, Giuseppe is too prideful to cower and deny it.
“You think you’re so scary, don’t you?” He says then, as he subtly inches toward the rifle hidden beneath the countertop. I clocked that thing on my very first visit. I suppose that’s the downfall of having a mirror behind the bar. I sigh and extend my arms over the counter, clasping my hands together. Man, after the night I’ve had, I wish I had another glass of bourbon.
“Well, I’m not scared,” he continues. “Yeah, yeah, I know who you are and who you work for. This place has been in my family for generations. With the name comes the stories. And, you know what my father told me?” He asks, his hands now gripping the gun. I’ve got to give it to him. He’s relatively steady under pressure. Good eye contact. Decent little speech. “He said,make your money while you can because your day will come. So, that’s what I did. You paid me for privacy. She paid me for information. I guess that’s the price you pay when you’re a criminal. You know nothing of integrity, so why should I treat you as if you do?”
Hmm, I’m guessing somewhere along the way, someone in his family had a less-than-pleasant encounter with someone in my organization. It happens. We’re not perfect. Lucky for him, he’ll soon join that departed family member. And they can spend eternity bitching about our lack of integrity.
Giuseppe pulls the rifle from beneath the counter and aims it at my head. The barrel is long enough, the end of it is only inches from my flesh. I’m unfazed. Licking my lips to savor the last of my bourbon, I stand.
“Well, for starters, we’re businessmenandwomen. And, to answer your question,yes. I think you are scared. Grandstanding is a bitter man’s last defense,” I tell him. Giuseppe snorts, attempting to call my bluff. But the redness in his cheeks let me know I’m right. And then he fires. Or atleast tries to. The first attempt, he flinches. Has he ever shot a gun before? Has he ever taken a life? The second failed attempt leaves him staring at the weapon in confusion. After the third, he clicks the trigger repeatedly, praying for a miracle as fear—yes, fear—consumes him. I laugh to myself as desperation overcomes him. Although, this isn’t a laughing matter by any means. I’m really going to miss this place.
Finally, giving up, he drops his weapon—which I unloaded upon arrival—and backs away with raised hands. The bottles behind him shake as he bumps into the counter. “Careful,” I say. “That one there is my favorite. In fact, you know what, I’ll take that.” I pull my wallet from my pocket, and he flinches. Here I thought he loved money. Collecting himself, he reaches for the bottle I poured from earlier and places it on the counter in front of me. “Thank you,” I say as I nonchalantly pull a few hundred-dollar bills from my wallet.
I hold the money out to him and then place it on the bar-top next to the bourbon. He watches me warily as I shove my hands into my pockets. I hold his gaze. “Go on, take it. That’s what you want most, isn’t it? Make your money while you can because your day will come.”
Giuseppe hesitates, looking between me and the bills as if they are a snake ready to lurch. Wise. Unfortunately for him, his intellect kicked in a little too late. As he reaches for the money, I pull the pistol holstered at my back and offer him a different form of payment for his betrayal.
“It came,” I say, as I pop him one to the head and one to the heart. He falls heavily to the ground, the shock of which sends several of the bottles on the shelves above him tumbling down. Well, that saves me time.
Collecting my money and my bourbon, I pull a lighter from my pocket and toss it behind the bar. Flames immediately consume Giuseppe’s body and spread. What a shame it hadto come to this, but bullets are the only payment I render to traitors.
As I walk through the entrance to Arnaud’s one last time, Damon pulls the Range Rover up with Delilah still asleep in the backseat. I really will miss this place. But, perhaps leaving it in ash is the perfect ending to this era of my life, of the Mafia. It’s time for me to go home. It’s time for new blood to reign. They’ll find their own places to frequent. They’ll develop their own methods for operating and handling conflict while working alongside Aidan and Josephine. The legacy lives on. But, for me, this chapter of my life is done.
As the soundsof Darcy’s heart rate monitor tug me from sleep, sunlight pours in through the windows in our bedroom, warming my skin. I open my eyes, groggy and physically fatigued, and find Delilah and me both in the same positions we were in the night before. Delilah lies asleep on one side of Darcy while I on the other, both our arms draped over her waist. I told Darcy she would never be alone, and I meant it. I lean towards her and kiss her cheek. Thankfully, the sun warms her as well. And the way it sets her skin and hair aglow gives me hope. She’s looking and feeling more like herself, even though she isn’t just yet. But at least Delilah and I have one night of her absence behind us.
“Good morning, my love,” I whisper, even though I know she can’t hear me. Talking to her just makes me feel better, makes me feel normal. “You’re looking beautiful as ever.” I wrap my hand around hers. “Delilah is here. She’s safe. She’s okay. We’re going to spend the day moving the Christmas tree in here so thatit’s the first thing you see when you wake up.”God, this is hard.But it would be harder to say nothing at all.
Nuzzling my nose against her neck, I inhale her scent. Thankfully, she still smells like her, like vanilla and honey. I kiss her skin, tasting the remnants of her perfume. “I love the pocket watch you chose for me. Even more, I love what it symbolizes—the end of one life and the beginning of another. You have no idea how fitting it is. But…for us to truly start our new life together, there’s still something I need to give you.”
I get out of bed and open the drawer to the nightstand. From it, I pull another small leather box. Only this one holds a diamond ring. It’s a four-carat oval cut diamond on a gold band—classic, elegant, beautiful.
Returning to Darcy’s side, I slip it on her finger. I’ll give her a proper proposal when she wakes. But, after everything we’ve been through, it doesn’t feel right seeing her naked finger. “You’re mine forever, Darcy Moretti. My lifeline, my hope, my love, my angel—my everything.” I seal my vow with another kiss. Though, as I do, the sound of breaking glass echoes from downstairs. My head immediately snaps toward the door and then to Delilah. Thankfully, she hasn’t woken yet.
My eyes narrowed and body tense, I quietly jump out of bed and grab the gun from inside my nightstand. I know the house has been rather occupied for the last twelve hours. But Ana and Ariana returned to their respective homes when Delilah and I made it back, Ana taking Ru with her and Damon until things settle down. And Dr. R has a room in the main house he uses when he’s here. With our security system, he wouldn’t even be able to enter without me disarming it. And, while someone registered in the system could, there’s been too much chaos and too many surprises of late to take any chances.
Tiptoeing out of the room, I close the bedroom door behind me. Having memorized all the squeaky boards, I silently creepdown the stairs with my gun at the ready. Reaching the bottom, I take a deep breath as more noise lets me know the intruder is in the kitchen. Without delay, I slip off the staircase and quietly move toward the dark-haired man who has his back turned toward me.
As I get closer, I notice the coffee supplies pulled from the refrigerator and suddenly hear the drip of a fresh brew.What the?It’s then that the man turns and— “Long night?” Alister asks, noticing my gun and no doubt, the exhaustion in my sleep-deprived eyes. I shake my head, lowering my weapon. With everything happening so fast, I completely forgot I’d texted him. Not that that meant anything. Alister was only ever going to come back when he was ready. But I’ve got to say, he couldn’t have more perfect timing. We have much to discuss and I could really use my friend right now, my brother.
“Long year,” I answer. Placing the gun on the dining room table, I meet him halfway and we embrace. Though the sounds of tiny footsteps quickly draw both of our attention.
“Daddy?” I turn to find Delilah rubbing sleep from her eyes at the bottom of the staircase. Alister raises his brow and looks at me in surprise.
“You missed a lot, and a lot missed you,” I say to him as I make my way to Delilah. Picking her up, I carry her to meet her new uncle. “Delilah, this is your Uncle Alister. He’s just back from doing some traveling and is already making a mess of things, I see,” nodding towards the broken coffee cup on the kitchen floor.
“It seems I also missed the moment you developed a sense of humor,” Alister says with a smile. “Hi, Delilah. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too. Will you play dollhouse with me?” She asks. Alister laughs, though this is not a joking matter. He’ll soon learn when he and Ariana have kids. And I sense they won’twait long to try. It’ll be nice for Delilah to have someone to play with. But, until then, consider us at her service.
“There’s a new queen in town,” I say then. “And it’s not Josephine Cullen.”
50
