Chapter 28

FRANCO

M y breath came in ragged gasps, each step a struggle.

Still, I made my way toward the towering iron gate of the grand estate in the hills above Goulburn.

Even from a distance, its grandeur was imposing—a contrast to the ruin my own life had become. A stark reminder of the heights I’d climbed, now lost to me.

My hands trembled as I reached for the intercom, pressing the button with an urgency born of desperation.

A voice crackled through, cold and impersonal. ‘State your business.’

‘It’s Franco Conti,’ I gasped, wiping the sweat from my brow. ‘I’m here to see the boss. It’s urgent.’

I got a pause, a moment thick with tension, sensing the scrutiny on the other side of the camera.

With an initial groan, the gates creaked open.

The gravel crunched beneath my worn shoes as I walked up the path, my shoulders hunched under the weight of my troubles.

Two menacing bodyguards waited at the entrance, their eyes hard and unyielding. One stepped forward, his hands rough as he frisked me with clinical efficiency.

Finding nothing, he nodded and let me pass.

Inside, the luxury of the Caputo estate - from gilded statues to dripping crystal chandeliers - struck me. This world was far removed from the grime and decay of the jail I’d just been released from.

I was ushered into a den, an elegant study filled with dark wood and the faint scent of expensive cigars.

A slick, ebony-haired, leathery-faced man sat behind a massive desk, his eyes glinting with the power that needed no introduction.

‘Franco,’ he greeted me, his voice as smooth as the silk tie at his throat. ‘I hear you’d some excitement your way last night.’

I swallowed hard, stepping into the room with the nervousness of a man about to face a firing squad. For Leo Caputo was many walking men’s nightmare, a ruthless Don and businessman who took no shit from anyone.

He’d also paid a heavy sum to bail me out of prison in return for access to my land for his enterprise.

‘Don, we had a visit from the feds. My men tried to defend the farm, but we were overwhelmed in minutes. They brought in dogs, helos, and drug squads.’

His gaze narrowed. ‘The lab?’ He leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers .

I braced. ‘All gone. Those who survived the night, including my sons, fled into the hills. We’re hunkering out in the wild for now.’

The man before me grimaced. ‘What happened to ‘ Don, I’ll keep your investment safe and triple it?’ From the sounds of it, you’ve lost control. Income is down; worse, the facility is lost. As well as soldiers. Some of those were my capos—good men.’

I flinched at the words, the truth of them cutting deep. ‘It’s all true,’ I admitted, just above a whisper, hating that I had to kowtow to this fucking shit. ‘But it’s not because of anything I did. It’s him—this fuckin’ Alessio guy. He’s been striking us like he’s always one step ahead.’

‘One man, causing all this carnage?’ The Don’s voice was laced with disbelief but also something more dangerous—anger. ‘How did you permit this to happen, Franco?’

I had an inkling.

I’d let my obsession with her dictate my life.

But fotto, why had this innocent, beautiful young woman I’d pursued with jewelry and cash, sparing no time, energy, or expense, never responded to me? Why had nothing worked? I’d even fuckin’ gone to jail for her.

I’d agonized in prison about her, the most alluring, perfect woman, my favorite Queen in Waiting.

Now, all that stood between her and me was some fuckin golden-haired lothario. Fuck that shit. She would be mine by nightfall tomorrow.

‘I’m sorry, boss. I underestimated the situation, but I won’t make that mistake again. I swear it.’

‘Who is he?’ the Don demanded. ‘The man who hit up the feds with intel about the farm? ’

‘Not sure,’ I lied, aware of who the Calibrese head capo was. ‘But I need your blessing to obliterate him.’

Caputo’s favor would give me the sanction I needed to go after a made man in the hope of restoring my fortunes and reputation and my fuckin’ bride-to-be.

My voice wavered as I continued, ‘I’ll fix it. I’ll flush him out, take care of him once and for all.’

His eyes bore into mine, searching for any sign of weakness, any reason to doubt me. After a tense silence, he gave a single nod. ‘I grant you carte blanche. Do whatever it takes to get his head on a spike.’

‘Last, we need refuge in your estate to avoid the feds.’

Caputo scoffed. ‘You have to rectify your shit first before coming to lay more in my backyard. Go back to your farm and use it as a base. The cops are long gone. But Franco,’ his voice dropped to a chilling whisper. ‘If you fail or return here without finishing the job, don’t bother returning. Capisce?’

I nodded, feeling the cold sweat trickle down my spine. ‘I understand, boss. I won’t let you down.

‘Make sure that you don’t,’ he said, waving me away, dismissing me as if I were nothing more than a bothersome fly.

I stumbled out of the room, heart bitter, my legs weak with the weight of what lay ahead.

The bodyguards’ eyes followed me as I exited the estate, but I took no notice.

All I thought about was the promise I had just made to myself. Of the woman who was meant to be mine—and the grim certainty that if I failed, I wouldn’t live to regret it.