20. Elio

20

ELIO

I t's just after eight in the morning when I stride into the police station, my annoyance simmering beneath the surface. What a waste of my goddamn time. I've got a million other things I need to be doing right now, namely, getting Piper and my daughter the hell away from that abusive dick she married. But instead, I'm here, cleaning up yet another mess.

Lana and Matteo flank me. Their expressions mirror my own impatience and irritation. Neither of them wants to be here, either. Lana's arms are crossed over her chest, her dark eyes flashing with barely restrained temper. Matteo just looks bored, but I catch him scanning the station, always on alert for potential threats.

I spot the cops on my payroll huddled together in the corner, talking among themselves. They straighten up when they see me coming. I have to play this cool. I'm in the middle of a police station, so it won't be smart to give away that I own these men. At the same time, I need to know what's going on.

"Officers."

The cops exchange uneasy glances. They know they need to play it cool too so as not to give away that they work for me.

"Someone want to tell me what the fuck is going on? Why are my men being detained?" I keep my voice calm.

"Finster got a tip about a burglary down by the docks," Officer Jones reports.

"Who the fuck is Finster?"

"Detective. He's been working on a string of burglaries in the area." Jones looks at his buddy, Colliers, who nods.

"We called Matteo?—"

"What I care about is that they're here at all." I lean in closer and speak low. "I pay you a shit-ton of money to prevent just this sort of thing."

Collier crosses his arms over his chest and narrows his eyes at me. "We can't be everywhere all at once. Why were they there, anyway? We didn't get any heads up that they were going into Rinella territory."

He's right. I look at Matteo. "Do we know why they were there?"

He shakes his head. Fuck. That means my men fucked up.

I turn back to the officers. "Why aren't you getting them out?"

"Your lawyer is here, and it would look sus if we poked our noses in," Jones says.

I shake my head, wondering if I'm wasting my money with these two. "Where are they now?"

"Interrogation. The lawyer is there. We can call you when they're done?—"

"I want it done now. Who can I talk to that will make it happen?"

Matteo leans in next to me. "Maybe we let this play out. The head of the D'Amato family throwing his weight around might cause undue attention."

He's not wrong. "Where can I wait?"

The officers guide me to a room. "No one should bother you here."

"Well this was a waste of time," Lana says, scrunching her nose at the drab room.

"This has Rinella written all over it," Matteo says, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

"I agree. But why were our guys there? That doesn't make sense. I didn't send them. Did you?"

"No. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

"Must we wait here?" Lana asks. "We're not helping and it will look suspicious. Plus, Rinella's men are probably reporting to him that he's won."

"I'm not leaving until I know what happened. And I don't give a fuck about what Rinella is told. He's an idiot if he thinks this little adolescent stunt means he won."

"Yeah, he's just fucking with you," Matteo agrees.

"And you're letting him," Lana quips.

I sigh. "If you don't want to be a part of this, you can go."

She makes a face but sits down next to Matteo.

Time moves slowly when waiting for something. In this case, it was over an hour before Tony, the family lawyer, strides through the door.

"Elio." He holds out his hand, and I shake it.

"What the fuck, Tony?"

He shakes his head. "It's all bullshit. They got nothing on our guys. No evidence, no probable cause, nothing. They're just jerking us around."

I clench my jaw, my anger rising. "So why the fuck are they still in there?"

Tony holds up a placating hand. "Relax. They're processing the paperwork now. Should be out within the hour."

I pace back and forth, my impatience growing. I can't wait around here. Not when I need to be helping Piper and Elysse pack and move in with me.

"Why so long?"

"You know how it is. It's like trying to buy a cell phone or a car. The process is slow."

"This is unacceptable," I growl. "I want to know who ordered this. And I want them out now."

"They've got a protocol?—"

"I don't give a fuck about protocol. These are my men, and I want them released. Now."

"I'll go see what I can do." Matteo exits the room.

I turn back to Tony, my frustration boiling over. "How did this even happen?"

"They got a text about taking a looksee at the docks. So they went down and were then picked up by a detective… Finster, I think."

"Text? From who?"

"They thought it was from Caro."

I frown. Joey Caro is one of my street men.

"In hindsight, they see now that it wasn't."

"Contact Caro," I say to Lana.

"When do you want to see him?"

"As soon as I get home." I turn back to Tony. "What else did they say?"

"That's about it. They were walking along, checking things out, when Finster showed up and took them in on suspicion of burglary."

"Is this Finster with Rinella?" I ask.

"Doubt it. He seems straight. Apparently, he got a tip, though."

I nod as I see the situation clearer. "Rinella forged a text to my men to lure them down to the docks and then tipped off Finster."

"Looks like it. There's been a lot of burglaries in the area, so it would make sense that he'd follow up on the tip."

I'm ready to be done with all this. At this point, I can have Matteo deal with my men.

"I'm heading home. Bring the men there. And get Caro there." I stride out of the room and see Matteo, giving him the same order.

On the ride home, I consider stopping by Piper's to pick them up, but Lana is with me and I don't need her harping on me about being distracted. Piper said her husband wasn't due back until tonight, so they should be safe.

Back in my home office, Lana doesn't waste time reminding me how this will look. "He might be just fucking with you, Elio, but it makes you look vulnerable."

"Fucking hell."

She doesn't back down, meeting my glare with one of her own. "You heard me, Elio. This whole thing makes you look weak. Like you can't control your own men."

I clench my fists at my sides, struggling to keep my anger in check. "Watch yourself, Lana."

"Threaten me if you want, but you know I'm right. You're so busy chasing after your high school sweetheart that you can't see what's happening right under your nose. Vincenzo is playing you like a fiddle, and you're too distracted by lust to even notice."

That's it. I snap, slamming my hand down on my desk. "Enough!"

She flinches but then purses her lips at me like I'm a petulant child.

"You want to talk about distractions? How about the fact that you're too busy sticking your nose into my business to actually contribute anything useful to this family?"

Lana's eyes widen, but she still doesn't back down. "I'm looking out for our best interests. Someone has to, since you clearly can't be bothered."

I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. "You know what, Lana? I've had just about enough of your shit. I wasn't joking about cutting you off… not just from the house but your allowance as well. It's easy for you to sit back and judge me when you have no real skin in the game."

Lana's jaw drops, her eyes flashing with anger. "Maybe if you'd give me a real job to do, I'd have skin in the game. I can help you, Elio. Or you can be a petty jerk."

I take a deep breath, trying to rein in my temper. As much as I hate to admit it, Lana has a point. We need to focus on the bigger picture here—namely, how we're going to handle this bullshit with the Rinellas.

Matteo enters with my men and Caro. They all look a little nervous. Good. Someone fucked up somewhere, and I need to know who and how.

"I didn't text them," Caro says right away. He holds out his phone. "You can check, Boss."

"How would Rinella have made it seem like a text was from you?"

"Spoofing?" Matteo suggests.

"We were just looking around," one of the men says.

"For what?" I ask.

They shrug. "Anything that you might want to know about. That's what the text said."

"So you were spying?"

They nod. They verify my suspicions. I feel like I need to reprimand them, but for what? Being gullible? Clearly, I need to put in more protocol about orders given via text.

"You can go. Lie low." I dismiss them.

The men and Caro leave my office, relief on their faces.

"We can't let Rinella get away with this," Lana says, perched on the edge of my desk.

"No, we can't." I sit down behind my desk.

"What do you have in mind? she asks.

I lean back in my chair, steepling my fingers together. "Nothing."

Matteo frowns, looking at me like I've lost my mind. "Nothing?"

I shrug, a slow smile spreading across my face. "Exactly what I said. We do nothing. Vincenzo wants a reaction out of us, wants to provoke us into doing something stupid. But we're not going to give him the satisfaction."

Lana gapes at me. "So what, we just let him get away with this little stunt? Let him think he can mess with us whenever he feels like it?"

"Oh, he's not getting away with anything, Sis. Trust me on that. But we're not going to stoop to his level. We're going to hit him where it really hurts."

Matteo leans forward, his eyes narrowing. "And how, exactly, are we going to do that?"

I pause for a moment, savoring the anticipation. "I'm going to marry Piper."

Lana's jaw drops, her eyes widening in shock. "You're going to what?"

Matteo looks equally stunned, his brows shooting up to his hairline. "Marry her?"

I nod, my grin turning smug. "Vincenzo thought he could strong-arm me into marrying his daughter. Or he just wanted to fuck with me in this petty prank. So I'll be petty back. Not only have I rejected his daughter, but I'm going to marry someone else. He'll see that as a bigger slap in the face." I like this idea a lot, but not as retaliation. No. I want to make sure Piper is mine. "Plus, I get back what was stolen from me, the woman I love and my child. It's a win-win."

"What about the fact that she's married?" Matteo asks.

"That can be undone."

Matteo runs a hand through his hair, looking skeptical. "And you think that's going to be enough to get back at Vincenzo? Marrying some girl from your past?"

I level him with a hard stare. "She's not just some girl. She's the love of my fucking life. And yeah, I think it'll be more than enough. Because it hits at his pride. Plus, his only real asset for building an alliance with us has been through his daughter. But now? It's useless. And he knows it."

My phone rings, and I pull it out of my pocket, glancing at the screen. Piper's number flashes up at me, and I feel a sudden rush of excitement. Maybe she's calling to tell me she's ready, that she's packed and waiting for me to come get her and Elysse. Perhaps I'll have time to stop by a jeweler and pick up a ring to make my intentions official.

I poke the answer button. "Are you ready?"

A sob comes through the phone, putting me on alert. "Piper?"

" Elio ?" It's Elysse. " He's hurting Mommy ."

Oh, fuck. I feel a cold dread wash over me, my heart clenching in my chest.

" I'm scared ."

For a moment, I can't breathe. Can't think. All I can see is Piper's face, bruised and battered, her eyes wide with fear. And Elysse, my little girl, watching it all happen, powerless to stop it.

I pull my shit together, jumping up from my desk and heading out the door. "Where are you?"

" Mommy told me to go to my room, but I'm hiding. I don't want him to hurt me ."

"Good. That's good. You stay hidden. I'm coming right now."

"What's going on?" Lana says as she and Matteo follow me out.

"I've got to get to Piper's."

"I'll get the car." Matteo rushes ahead of me. I'm grateful that even without details, he knows this is serious.

" Hurry ," Elysse's terrified voice comes over the phone.

"I'm on my way," I manage to choke out. "I need you to be brave, okay? Stay hidden until I get there. Can you do that for me?"

" Okay… hurry. I'm so scared ."

"I know, baby girl. I know. I'm coming as fast as I can. Just hold on, okay? I'm going to make everything alright. I promise." God, I hope I can keep that promise.

"What can I do?" Lana asks.

I'm heading out the door when I call back, "Hold down the fort."

I drive like a maniac, Matteo white knuckling it in the passenger seat. I screech to a halt and send up a prayer to a God who has probably written me off that Piper is okay. That I'm not too late.

I screech to a stop and am out of the SUV's door like a flash. I burst through the front door of Piper's house, my heart pounding in my chest. I see Gabriel's hands around Piper's neck. She's not moving, not fighting back. Then my heart stops. I'm too late. Too fucking late.

Rage consumes me, a red haze descending over my vision. I cross the room in three strides, grabbing Gabriel by the back of his shirt and hauling him off Piper. He stumbles back, caught off guard by my sudden appearance.

"Get the fuck off her!" I roar, shoving him hard.

He hits the ground but scrambles back to his feet, his face twisted with fury. "She's my wife. I'll do whatever the hell I want with her."

I grab him and manhandle him over to Matteo. "Hold this piece of shit. I need to check on Piper."

Matteo doesn't hesitate, grabbing Gabriel by the arms and wrenching them behind his back.

I turn back to Piper, my heart in my throat. She's slumped on the floor, her eyes closed, her breathing shallow.

I drop to my knees beside her, cupping her face in my hands. "Piper? Baby, can you hear me?" My heart is cracking open. Have I failed her again? "Please, open your eyes. Look at me, sweetheart."

"Are you the one who's been fucking my wife behind my back?" Gabriel snarls at me.

I don't look at him. "Matty, kill him if you have to." Matteo pulls his gun out, holding it to Gabriel's head. His eyes widen, and I think he's finally understanding that he's messed with the wrong woman.

I turn my attention back to Piper. I'm terrified that I'm too late, that Piper's gone. But then her eyelids flutter and she lets out a soft groan. Relief floods through me, so intense it would bring me to my knees if I weren't already on them.

"That's it, baby." I brush her hair back from her face, holding back the rage that's growing at the sight of new bruises. "You're okay. I'm here now. I've got you."

I pick her up, carrying her to the couch. She sinks down onto the cushions, her breathing still ragged.

I kneel in front of her, taking her hands in mine. "What do you need? I can call a doctor?—"

"I just need a minute." Her voice is hoarse.

I nod. "Rest. I'm going to deal with this scumbag."

Piper nods weakly, her eyes drifting closed again. I press a soft kiss to her forehead before standing and turning to face Gabriel.

I stalk toward him. "You think you're a big man, hitting a woman? You're pathetic."

Gabriel's eyes flash with fury, but he's smart enough not to say anything. Matteo steps back slightly to give me room.

"You're a pussy-ass man. Real men don't have to terrorize women and children to feel important." I lunge at him, my fist connecting with his jaw with a satisfying crack. He reels back, spitting blood, but I don't give him a chance to recover. I grab him by the front of his shirt, slamming him back against the wall.

Gabriel tries to look defiant but fails. I can smell the fear radiating off him.

"She's my wife. I can do whatever I want with her."

I slam my fist into his stomach, doubling him over. "Wrong answer. You crossed a line, you piece of shit." I grab him by the hair and wrench his head back. "You put your hands on the woman I love, the mother of my child. There's no coming back from that." I lean in close so all he can see is my face. "You're going to pay with your life."

Gabriel's eyes widen, his mouth falling open in shock. His eyes slide to the right toward Matteo as if he might help him.

"Now you know what it feels like, don't you? The fear? The pain?" I let loose, raining blows on him, channeling all of my rage and fear into each punch.

If he's saying anything now, I don't hear it. The roaring in my ears is rage and retribution.