18. Luca

18

LUCA

T he confusion in Josephine's eyes is expected. While I never intended to tell her about my mother this soon, I don't want to keep the truth from her. She's been so open with me.

"I'm so sorry, Luca. What happened?" she asks, but immediately blushes red and retracts. "I'm sorry. Don't answer that. That's rude and invasive."

I reach across the table to touch her hand. "It's okay. The short version is Vito used to own that Parliament Productions Studio building. He made porn and there were rumors he did snuff films."

She sits quietly, waiting for me to finish, but I need to move as I unravel the sordid history between me and Vito. The chair scraping the stone tile floor as I push it back to grab a beer out of the fridge echoes around the room. Her silence is too loud, so I continue to speak.

"My mother was a mess. She couldn't hold down a job long enough to keep the lights on or food on the table. As a kid, I didn't want or need to know. As the man I am today, I replay moments and know she got money out of whoever she could to keep most of the bills paid. She did drugs and got into debt the summer of my sixteenth birthday."

I pull out my phone to show Jo an old picture from my childhood. Her fingers touch the screen gently.

"Your sister looks just like her."

"Dana Devlin was stunning, even after the drugs." I smile. "Gina's just as tough as her, too. We loved her and she loved us, mess and all."

"Was she in debt to Vito?" Jo asks, bringing me back to the memories.

"No. Some asshole, Lincoln. Lincoln suggested she go see Vito to pay off her debt. I went to the studio on Parliament's lot looking for her because she hadn't been home in over a week. I found her. She was strung out, hooked on whatever they shot her up with. She was barely conscious."

"I'm sorry, Luca."

My heart aches for the kid who had to find his mother overdosed in a porn studio of some mafia boss.

"I got her out of there, but it was too late. She never woke up. She never left the hospital alive. My friend, Julian?—"

She nods, slowly taking a sip of the beer I pulled out for her. "Who's Julian?"

"Blackwell, the guy owns the building where we took the helicopter. His father was a judge and pulled some strings for me so Gina didn't have to go into the system. We were allowed to stay with Sonny and his folks. Been like family ever since."

"You tried to save your Mom and Vito calls it theft?" She shakes her head. "That's fucked up."

"Vito's mostly upset because after my mother died, I went berserk. I went to the police and all they could do was close down his studio. Some company snatched it up, but that didn't last long because Vito's a made guy. He's the boss of the Dacosta Family now."

"The mafia? You went against the mafia for your mother. How are you still alive?" she asks.

I stare Josephine in her gorgeous brown eyes, waiting for the realization to come over her.

"Are you in the mafia, Luca?"

"Is that the only question you want to know the answer to?"

"No. Have you killed anyone?"

I sigh, folding my arms across my chest. "I'm not an innocent man, Jo. I've done things to make sure the people I care about aren't hurt. I take care of problems and yes, I have ties to the mafia. It's the only way I can do business with someone like Vito Dacosta as an enemy without my life being in constant danger."

"What happened after the studio closed down?"

"My mother's grandfather died and left her some money. I took a portion of that and contributed to Charleston Blackwell's campaign. I figured I owed him that much for keeping me and Gina out of the system. That got me in the room with some people who have valuable connections. I was able to convince a lot of them not to sell Vito another studio. Vito resorted to buying the strip club and has been using its back rooms to make his films ever since."

"I'm surprised Vito hasn't tried to kill you."

I laugh. "He has, but one of the connections I made through Julian and Charleston was to Julian's uncle, Armande. Don Marzano to most people around here. Don Marzano held a lot of power in those days, still does, but recent events have made him take a step out of the spotlight."

"Your connections to Don Marzano and Vito Dacosta are why that agent is insisting on seeing this Starlight movie?"

"Agent Shaw's hellbent on proving something from combing through our financial records. The only thing she's going to find is a well-run production company, and an independent production of Starlight. Thank you again, Jo. Are you still interest in the movie role?"

"I am. What I'm more curious about is why you've told me all of this."

"You have Jett and deserve to know what you and your son are getting into by simply knowing me. Vito's tried to intimidate you. Duke's trying to bully his way back into your lives. I don't want things to continue the way they are, especially with how I feel, only to have you blindsided by the unspoken truth. I'm not an innocent man, Jo, but I won't let anyone hurt you or Jett."

"I believe you, Luca. These connections you have, would you be able to help me with Duke? I don't want him whacked or anything, but just some breathing room, you know?"

I nod. "I can do that. I have some people working on making sure his court documents stay filed. I don't want him to keep threatening you. I'll have a private word with him."

She starts to speak but is interrupted by her phone ringing. Jo takes the call and the sound of the caller is frantic. Panic washes over her as dread consumes me. When she ends the call, she stares at me with tears welling in her eyes.

"Duke's in the hospital. He was found at my house and the police have arrested Collin for assault."