Tempted By The Mafia Boss

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Mimi

“Oh wow… it looks like I came to the right person then,” I state but there’s a noticeable shift in the atmosphere. I try nevertheless to keep up appearances.

“Looks like you did. As you know Mr. Russo hasn’t really been heard of in years. I haven’t seen him and I don’t know what happened to him. I fell out of certain circles when I stopped working for the government. Being a criminal and all you have to pick sides. Doesn’t look like I can help you, but maybe I can sign your book. Your mother was nice to me. Drove her and Mr. Russo around a lot. She liked the beach. The water.”

The water… it makes me think of where I found her, but more so of the picture by the beach.

He knows something.

The unbalanced look in his eyes makes me think he knows something and the way he looks at me too.

I get the feeling he knew Mom and William Russo were having an affair.

“I would like that. Thank you for being so kind. My grief for her still affects me a great deal.”

I don’t mistake the flash in his eyes for any kind of emotion. It’s clear that guys like him have none.

“I can imagine so sweetheart. Like I said nice lady. Good people you don’t want to lose too soon, and yeah, she really was into law. Mr. Russo was training her in a matter of speech.”

“Oh, I didn’t really know that. There was mention of a guy called Adrian. I think he was an assistant. Do you maybe know where he is?”

The bladed spark that peppers his gaze suddenly grabs my attention. Jesus lord what did I say to make him react like that? Was it because I pressed.

No…

I mentioned Adrian.

“You know what sweetheart. I really wish you didn’t mention that name.”

“What?”

“Adrian. Your story was almost believable. Almost had me good. You see Mr. Russo had certain guys for different things. Different situations. Some kept secrets. Adrian was a guy like that. Except nobody is supposed to know his name, only if you know the secret. Like me. There’s no way you could just know that name unless if you know the secret too, or, want to open certain things.”

Oh God… what is he talking about? A rush of cold washes over me and my breathing stills.

I shake my head. “No… I don’t know what you mean.”

“The files,” he states. “I think you know more than you’re saying Miss Cipriani. Just like mother. Digging for information, snooping in places she shouldn’t have been looking.”

His words pulse adrenaline through me and I jump to my feet.

“You… did something to her?” My voice is shaky.

“No. Not me.”

“But someone did?”

He laughs. “How about I ask the questions here? Where are the files?”

My mouth drops. “What files?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Liar.”

“I don’t have any files. What files are you talking about?”

“Liar! The only reason you could want Adrian is the files. You must have them and you must know, he’s the only person who can open them. It’s really him you’re looking for, isn’t it?”

I back away and back right into a wall, except when I turn I realize it’s not a wall it’s a man. A man just as thuggish and horrendous looking as Porter.

He grabs me wrapping his arms tight around me. So tight I think he might break me. I scream but he covers my mouth.

“Fine, since you won’t talk we’ll end you. Think of it as insurance.” He laughs out loud. “Kill her and cremate her body. We’ll explain to the boss later. She’s a threat we don’t need.”

No!

I can’t let this happen to me. I can’t.

I gather all the strength I can from deep inside me. Summon all my energy and I ram my heel into the guys leg. He yelps and the slight loosening of his grip on me gives me just the right amount of lead way to break free. I slip out from his grasp and knee him hard in his balls making him double over. Porter comes for me and so do three other guys. I’m faster and quicker than I look though. I run through the arch way and down a hall, them hot on my tail, running me down.

I make it down another corridor and knock over a stack of paint cans. Those tumble over in their path.

It buys me a few seconds to run into a large warehouse style storage room. the light is dim and it was dark when I came in, switching on as I dashed inside. I made it behind a stack of boxes and hide there watching as the men rush in and run down the wide aisles.

“She’s in here, fucking find her!” Porter orders.

Thinking on my feet I pull out my phone and fire of a quick message to Tony.

I just write danger and send it. I send it and pray with everything inside me that he comes for me.

Fuck… there’s no way I would have known this would happen. Fucking hell I did know that there was something that didn’t feel right. But shit…Look at the shit I’m in now.

Something happened to Mom. Something did happen but what?

It doesn’t add up. Not one bit. What about the suicide note? I’ve heard of people making something look like a suicide and writing notes. It was her handwriting. What if someone made her write it though?

Fuck.. I’m going crazy here.

I need to get out.

How though and how will Tony find me?

“Well hell?” comes a voice from behind me.

I whirl around and see another guy I hadn’t seen previously. He must have come from the other side .

I step back as he comes forward. He pulls out his gun and I run. It’s all I can do. Run and scream.

He fires a shot but misses me but the sound terrifies me. I’m going to fucking die down here.

I run and make the mistake of looking back. They’re coming for me. Porter and his men. Porter aims his gun at me and I slap right into someone who grabs me at the same time a bullet echoes through the warehouse and knocks the gun out of Porters hand.

I swallow the scream that was about to pour from my soul when I look up to see who’s holding me.

It’s Salvatore!

First I think it’s a dream. Like the bullet the other guy fired hit me and I must have died.

But he’s real. It was him who shot the gun out of Porters hand. He feels real. His arm around me feels real, and so is the glare he gives me. I know that look from long ago. I’m used to it, except that this is probably the worst thing he’s had to save me from.

Before I can take my next breath, Nick, Gabe, and four guys I’ve only ever seen in passing in the past come around the corner looking like death.

Claudius who, people call the Chicago boss casts a glance my way. The cross tattooed on his cheek always gets me. His men: Dante, Gio and Alex have crosses tattooed on their neck. Together their called The Four.

Salvatore doesn’t say anything. He just hands me to Nick who takes me like he’s taking a package.

I gaze back to Porter and his men who look like their ready to shit themselves.

“Salvatore Giordano and friends,” Porter says, his gun is at his side.

Claudius starts laughing. It’s not a laugh of humor.

“There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding here we were just talking to the lady,” Porter stutters.

“Oh yeah?” Salvatore counters. “Talking with guns? What do I look like to you?”

The situation gets worse when men start coming in from the two doors behind Porter. We’re vastly outnumbered. A good twenty to seven.

There’s no warning before the bullets start to fly.

Nick just yanks me and we both dive behind an oil drum. I cower behind him in the corner, helpless and not knowing what to do.

It’s frightening.

All so frightening. The sounds that echo of the bullets and death is frightening.

It goes on like that for close to five minutes and then it stops.

The noises stop and I feel warm hands on me. I had my hands over my head.

My eyes shut, as if that would help. I didn’t even realize I was crying.

“Mimi, you’re okay now.” Nick is saying scooping me up. I hold onto him shaking. Shaking so much I can’t stand. He has to pick me up. when he does I see the blood bath before me.

All those men are dead on the ground. All except Porter, who Salvatore has on his knees, a gun pointed to his head.

He pulls the trigger back ready to fire but I stop him.

“Noooooo, wait?” I wail and strength comes from somewhere for me to run to him on shaky legs.

Salvatore holds fire and snaps his gaze to me, eyes blazing with fury.

“Mimi go back, you mustn’t see this,” Salvatore yells.

“He knows something. Something happened to my mother and he knows. He thought I had files. He’s working with someone,” I babble.

Porter looks at me, face contorted.

“Bitch, stupid bitch, just like your mother,” Porter snarls.

Salvatore answers him with the back of his gun knocking him over. “What happened to her mother?” Salvatore demands, pulling the trigger back again and aims the gun at Porter’s head.

“Fuck off Giordano. Fucking scum, you think you own me. you don’t own shit. None of you.” he looks to Claudius when he says that.

I’ve always heard tales of what Claudius is like. All stories end with how ruthless and heartless he can be. I guess that’s what it takes to be a mafia boss.

He’s the youngest one I know of in this hemisphere. Same age as Vincent but he has all that power. I’ve seen him many times in the past because he and his brother Luc have always hung out with the Giordano guys.

I’ve never however seen him in action until just now.

Out of nowhere he grabs a sword. It comes from his back and he swings it once and slices Porters ear off. I shriek and jump back as I look at Porters ear on the ground.

Blood pours from the wound and Porter screams.

“Talk right the fuck now!” Claudius balks. “Answer the fucking question. Tell us what happened to her mother.” He uses the sword and presses it into Porter’s leg then as if handing back the torch of power to Salvatore he motions for him to take it.

Salvatore does and drives it in deeper into Porters leg.

Mores screaming comes and I try not to feel anything. This man knows more than what I knew and I want to know what happened.

“Talllllllkkkkk,” Salvatore howls. His voice paralyses me. I’ve never seen him like this. I don’t like seeing the darkness in him, part of me doesn’t want to believe it’s there, but I know it is.

“Evangeline Cipriani had files she shouldn’t have,” Porter answers.

“What kind of files?”

“Evidence.”

“Fucking hell, tell me what the fucking evidence is,” Salvatore demands.

“I don’t know details. I just know it’s the bad kind. I know she gave them to Adrian but he hid them. He has the password to unlock the case they’re in.”

Jesus Christ. Mom did give them to Adrian.

“Keep fucking talking.”

“When I got the call that Evangeline Cipriani’s daughter wanted to see me about William Russo I reported it. Orders were to find out if she had the files and kill her. She mentioned Adrian’s name. It was obvious she must have found the files and needed to open them.”

Salvatore snarls. “Did you report that too?”

“Of course I did. She must have the files.”

I want to reiterate that I don’t have shit but hearing him say that heralds in that I have much bigger fish to fry. Bigger things to worry about. Whoever he reported to thinks I have these files.

Fucking hell they wanted me dead.

I stifle a whimper.

Always heard of people asking too much questions, and seeing things they shouldn’t have seen. Seeing too much. Never thought both would happen to me.

“Who did you report to?” Salvatore demands.

Porter tenses up and a few seconds pass by of silence, us waiting for his answer.

Salvatore slaps his face. “Fucking tell me now.”

“I’m not telling you that,” Porter shouts in his face.

Salvatore answers by pushing the sword further down in Porters leg. There’s so much blood now, too much.

“Fucking tell me. I will fuck you up with this sword and feed you to the fucking fish.”

Porter already looks pale. Ghost pale and pallid from the loss of so much blood. His ear is still bleeding and he starts shuddering violently.

“Tell me,” Salvatore says but Porter isn’t saying shit. Claudius sends a kick straight to his face and he falls back.

He holds Porters face and it’s like he and Salvatore know exactly what to do.

My soul shrieks away when Claudius holds Porter down while Salvatore shoves his gun in his mouth.

Porter responds by kicking and thrashing, but to no avail. Salvatore and Claudius are too strong for him.

“Ready to talk?” Salvatore asks and Porter nods.

Salvatore pulls the gun from his mouth and Porter gasps for air like he’s taking his last breath.

“Marc. Marc Fontaine,” he cries.

Fontaine… another name to worry about. Just as bad as Stephanou. I don’t know the full extent of what is all happening, however, I pay real good attention when I watch Salvatore tense up. I know in that moment we’ve hit something big.

“Marc Fontaine? What do the files contain?” Salvatore asks.

“Government stuff. Files that contain evidence against the government. Things that link them to the Fontaines. I don’t know. It’s details I never knew, but it’s stuff he doesn’t want anybody getting their hands on.”

“Evangeline Cipriani knew about these files?”

“She got hold of them, so she had to be stopped.”

“Stopped…” I say. My voice barely there.

“Someone killed her?” Salvatore clarifies and Porter nods.

In that moment something inside me snaps and I crumble. My knees just falls from under me but someone catches me. I look up and see Gabe. He holds me as I break down and I hold on to his arm like I’m grasping on to life. Holding on to the rug of reality and all the fibers that’s just been pulled from under my feet.

“Come doll. You’ve seen enough,” Gabe says as I cry from deep, deep within my soul.

I’m so weak, too weak to stand up properly and the tears just flow from my eyes like a river.

“Someone killed my mother Gabe,” I whisper through the flood of tears.

He doesn’t answer or try to get me to walk. He just picks me up and carries me out.

We get up the stairs and the last thing I heard before we go through the door is a single gunshot.