Page 3 of The Forever One

“We are.”

Lina and I answer at the same time. I shouldn’t be surprised by the strong and powerful stance Gabriella has; she is a formidable woman, despite losing her husband a short time ago.

“After speaking with my friends, I have found some sources. The Kastellanos assisted the Ambrosios logistically on this. They were going for you, River. Right now, the fact that they have no idea who you really are is on our side. It does beg the question, why? But my belief is that it’s about power for them. It always is. They need Marco to marry Elizabeth, and they need you out of the way to do it.” She rubs at her forehead in agitation, taking a deep breath before continuing. “They did it once before, when you were still known as Volpe to the families. The Kastellanos took the blame, but the Ambrosios were responsible. With you and your family gone, they were able to move in and take Naples. It originally belonged to your family, but they wiped them all out… or so they thought. It’s a good thing your parents kept your brother concealed at the time. Not taking him to your grandparents’ party that night was one of the best things they could’ve done.”

My mind is blown by the information coming out of Gabriella’s mouth. Things from my past are beginning to piece together, but not quickly enough. Trying to figure out all of that is—frustratingly—not the first thing on my mind. However, I do have another name to add to our list.Kastellanos.

“Okay, so I’m going to be asking about all that some more when we’ve got the guys back. For now, do we have any kind of plan? People we can call for more help, information… anything?”

A small smile graces her lips as she assesses me with a little pride in her eyes. “Yes, we have people. You can’t be the wife of a don without learning a few tricks along the way.”

“Apologies, signore. Lady J is here to see you. Shall I bring her through?” Ever the silent ninja, this man.

“Yes, please, Stefano. Thank you. You can come and join us too if you’d like. We need all hands on deck here.”

He gracefully nods his head before leaving the room, returning moments later with J in tow. It looks as though she’s had a shower and changed her clothes. Instead of the blood-soaked outfit she’d worn at the warehouse, she’s now wearing tight black pants with buckles on the sides, a deep-pink plain top, and a black leather jacket. She’s also a girl after my own heart, because the black shit-kicker boots she’s sporting have a three-inch heel I’d be proud to wear. Her blonde hair is still damp, scraped back off her face into two french-plaits.

“Mrs. Mancini. I’m so sorr—” J approaches my mother-in-law with her shoulders drooped, only to be cut off when Gabriella marches forward and grabs her by the shoulders, bringing her in for the same mothering hug she gave to me.

“Do not apologize,mia cara. I have everyone on standby. Our first task is to find them.”

Mrs. Mancini is a boss-ass bitch, and I’m in awe of her right now. The strength this woman holds in the face of such travesty is awe-inspiring. I want to be her when I grow up—minus the dead husband. I’d very much like my husband to stay alive and I’m praying to all the gods I know of to help make that happen.

I feel like a fish out of water with all of this. My eyes are burning, my head is pounding, and I have no idea how to handle this. I may have been born of this world—which is a shocker in and of itself—but I didn’t grow up in it. I knew what I was getting myself into with Marco, but I think I was fooling myself with how fucking serious and huge it all is.

And now some jealous fuckers who wantpowerhave taken my husband from me, my soul mate, my twin flame. I know that’s what he is. And I didn’t tell him how much he means to me. What if I never get the chance? Why did I let us go to bed angry last night? If I get him back… no,whenI get him back, I’m going to make him promise me that will never happen again. Going to bed angry is the worst. What if he thinks I don’t love him, that I don’t care? What if it’s already too late?

“River!” Gabriella’s voice brings me out of my mini-spiral. She’s crouched in front of me, her hands on the sides of my face, and once she sees she has my full attention, she continues. “Listen to me,cara. You need to think and act like the queen you are, like a leader.” J, Lina, and Stefano remain silent while I get a well-needed talking to. “We have people, lots of people, and they are all loyal to my son, which means they are loyal to you. Use them, use their knowledge, and let’s focus on getting those boys back home, shall we?”

I nod, taking another deep breath before composing myself and clearing my throat. Gabriella is much like her son, I can tell she needs my words. “Yes.Si.” She smiles at my use of the small Italian word—baby steps. I can totally do this, I’ve basically trained myself for this in a way. I’ve seen Gabriella do it, and it’s as easy as breathing. I slide on my mask, only this time, I'm not Rose, the escort.

I’m River Volpe-Mancini, the mafia queen.

“Okay, Stefano, I know you’re Marco’sguy, so are you able to track their phones? If not, what else can we use? Because I know for sure that you would never let them out there without some kind of back up.” Stefano is an anticipator, and in the months I’ve known him, he always knows exactly what is needed and when, prepared for every situation exactly how he should be. If my people-reading skills are serving me well, then I know this man has plans A-Z for every circumstance.

“Si, signora. You know me well.” His mouth moves up into a knowing grin. “Their cells are off, gone. The Ambrosios’ crew at least have a little sense, I suppose. But Enzo is chipped. I already have my software working on finding him. It’s an old system, we didn’t think we’d ever have to use it after installing it years ago. I’m sorr—” His slightly bowed head isn’t what I want to see, he has nothing to be sorry about.

“I won’t accept an apology, Stefano. It is what it is. It’s not like kidnapping is a regular occurrence. Can I ask why Marco wasn’t chipped too?”

“Grazie, signora. The chip was a trial run, we’d never used it before, so Enzo volunteered. He’d said it was best for him to do it because if someone ever got hold of the system, they’d find Marco in a heartbeat, and that he was always with Marco anyway, so it worked.”

Yeah, it kinda does. Fucking Enzo. Always looking out for Marco. In the few sessions he helped me with my self-defense, I could just hear the dedication to my husband in his voice. If this works, I owe Enzo a lifetime of gratitude. Well, I owe everyone in this room the same thing, but I’m not dwelling on that now. I have to focus.

Lina gently rubs my back as I stand, looking down at her with a strong nod and a wink, letting her know I’ve got this—even with the tears still burning behind my eyes. Her reply is a ghost of a smile as she straightens her back, readying herself—she is a mafia princess after all. She’s grown up around these people, these dangers, and while she may have been sheltered somewhat, I know she’s a powerhouse—that much was evident in our self-defense sessions after she told Enzo she’d take over my training by herself. I’ve learned that, as well as dance and hairdressing, Lina’s got a few other amazing skills.

“Okay, one second.” Everyone stays silent as I type onto my cell, adding to the list Lina and I started earlier.

It may seem inconsequential, but I need this.

People Who Need to be Unalived

Ambrosios

Kastellanos

Elizabeth? - Find out if she’s a lying bitch or not first.

Eleanor? - Because she’s creepy af and friends with Ambrosios.

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