Broken Saint by E.M. Gayle

21

Nova

"You look surprised to see me."

I stood staring dumbfounded at Anthony Cullotta Senior sitting in my living room. What was I supposed to say to him? Unlike some people, I did not dream of seeing the man who ruined my life again so I could say my piece.

"Why are you here?"

"Is that the proper way to greet your father after so many years?"

His superior attitude, and the implication that I should somehow be grateful that he graced me with his presence, pulled me out of my immobile stupor. This moment may have been inevitable, but that didn't mean I looked forward to it.

"I wouldn't have a clue what might be appropriate in this situation. You sent me away and cut me off from my family. Don't expect me to be grateful now."

"You, young lady, brought shame on our family. Sending you away was the least harsh way I could have handled what you did."

I gaped at him. "What I did? That's rich."

"I am not the one who killed my husband on my wedding night."

"Is that what you really think happened, or do you tell yourself that so you can sleep at night?"

"Enough!" His forceful command vibrated throughout my suite and along my spine. It reminded me that my father had a cruel streak with a hair trigger. I could push him now or bide my time and strike when the odds were more in my favor. "It doesn't matter what really happened. Only what people think happened!"

"So, I assume you are here about Ronin. What do you want me to do?"

"Fulfill your obligation while also remembering that no matter what happens, including marriage, your loyalty is owed to the Cullotta family."

His choice of wording made it clear that I was not considered a family member anymore. That ended five years ago, and there was no going back. I should want to shed a tear over his callous treatment, but those days were over. If I had my way, the Cullotta name would never be associated with Nova.

"If that's your way of reminding me to keep family secrets to myself, it isn't necessary. I may not have known what I was getting into when I turned eighteen, but I've had time to come to terms with my future."

"Don't be so dramatic. It isn't necessary. But you need to keep your guard up with Kavanaugh. He's dangerous and looking for something. He cannot be trusted.

He didn't need to warn me. These were all things I already knew. "If you are so worried about him, why make me marry him? That sounds risky."

My father steepled his fingers and tapped them against his lips. "Because it's what we do. I need a truce between our families until I am good and ready. I can't guarantee you a happy union, though. The outfit in New York pretty much hates us. But if there is a chance this wedding can postpone the inevitable, then that is what we will do."

We? Was he kidding? We were not getting married, I was. Or at least that's what he expected so I needed him to believe that. I hadn't given up hope that those diamonds sitting in my safe were still my ticket out. Although Ronin may not be the one to help me after all. I would have to weigh all the options now, including any I hadn't yet thought of.

"Whatever you say." I wanted him to think I would go along with whatever he wanted, but to make it more believable I couldn't be too agreeable. That would be out of character as well. Whatever he thought he wanted, I had to go along with it, or this plan would never work. My father was a total bastard and it turned my stomach to even pretend I cared about a word he said.

"You think I don't know what you're doing?"

My breathing hitched, panic flooding me as I jerked to attention at his words. They'd come so far out of left field I didn't know what to think. What the hell was that supposed to mean? My brain couldn't think through the scenarios fast enough. Whatever he thought he knew, it couldn't be the truth. No way in hell, right? And then I remembered my last conversation with my sister. I'd had my doubts...

I looked at him cautiously. Almost afraid he'd see right through my ruse. "What do you mean?" I had to ask. Just rip off the bandage and let him tell me what he thought he knew. I'd been preparing for this for a long time. I only hoped I'd managed to keep the desperation I felt from my voice.

"You are up to something. Five years, and you haven't changed a bit. You tell me what you think I want to hear then you go and do whatever it is you feel like doing." He lunged forward and grabbed my wrist and drug me closer to him. "Only you aren't a child anymore, and I tired of your games a long time ago. What aren't you telling me, daughter?"

He spat the title like it was useless trash. Obviously, he couldn't be bothered to even use my name. As for the question, I wouldn't deign to answer it at this point. He seemed to know nothing—yet.

"My name is Nova. I stopped being your daughter the moment you kicked me out." This time the tremble in my voice came from a well of rage, not fear.

His face twisted into an ugly mask marred by anger. "You are still my blood. Which means what happens to you is up to me. You live at my mercy. Do you understand that? You are lucky your disgrace has not tarnished our name. If not for this deal with Kavanaugh I might have had to take more drastic action with your future."

I shuddered to think what he thought would be more drastic than selling me off to a violent killer. Ronin probably had more blood on his hands than any other made man. No one knew for sure because bodies were rarely found. But the rumors were strong that he was probably the most lethal enforcer anyone had ever seen. I had tried to forget that information when dealing with him, but now, with my father here, I realized I had more to be frightened about than I ever thought before.

He squeezed my wrist harder until I couldn't take the pain silently any longer. "You're hurting me," I squeaked.

"That's nothing compared to the lesson Luca is prepared to teach you." Just then my father's right-hand man emerged from the shadowed depths of my suite and stark fear filled my mind. Where Ronin was a stone-cold killer, Luca favored torture over killing. He had inventive and cruel ways to make people talk. My father always said if he wanted information from someone, Luca would be the one to get it.

"Why? I have done nothing but exactly what you asked."

The look on his face told me he didn't believe my lies for a second. I'd worked on that skill for a very long time. It wasn't second nature for me to hide my emotions, especially under duress. Lately, however, I'd gotten pretty good at it.

"You have more to tell me?"

There was something about that question that led me to believe he knew a hell of a lot more than he'd let on this far. Dammit. What the hell was going on? What had he done to Carina?

I didn't have to wait long. Luca strode forward and pressed his cell phone into my hands, a maniacal grin spread across his face. A picture of my sister, bound and gagged, filled the screen. Her tear-stained face streaked with mascara and grime against a bleak backdrop of what looked like a cage. The right side of her face appeared swollen and there was a small cut across her lip. As if someone with a ring on their finger had slapped the hell out of her.

That thought alone as I stared at Luca's giant diamond ring on his right hand made me want to kill him on the spot. Only once before had that kind of lust for blood entered my mind.

"Oh my God!" My free hand flew to my mouth to cover it. "Why would you—" My stomach lurched. "She's your daughter!"

"She's as much trouble as you and needs to learn her place," he spat. "However, you are the biggest idiot of all if you thought two women could conspire against me and win. And my own daughters. You'll be lucky if one or both of you doesn't end up dead before the night is over. Now start talking. Tell me what the fuck you did."

Holy shit. He didn't know. Whatever information he'd forced from Carina, she'd managed to keep the diamonds a secret. Which meant I only had to make up something else.

"I only tried to make Ronin listen to reason by explaining to him why we shouldn't marry. But like you, he doesn't listen. He wasn't interested in anything I have to say." That was all true. The details were edited out, but at least it wasn't a lie.

My father jerked me to the ground and twisted my arm behind me. "Liar." He knelt beside me and got close enough for me to feel his breath on my face. "Stop being a little bitch, and face the music like you have at least a little pride. Tell me about the man. The one you've been fucking like a whore and spilling our secrets to."

"What are you talking about?" That was basically the only thing that popped into my mind. It was hard to think with the pain shooting up my arm.

My father grabbed my hair and shoved my head towards the ground. Much more and he was going to break my arm or yank it from the socket. When I didn't answer right away, he shoved my head hard and bounced me off the floor. I yelped as tears streamed down my face.

"I'll let you deal with this bullshit," he said to Luca, moments before he released me. I wasn't expecting that, so I fell forward on the floor. My arm felt like it was on fire and my scalp burned. I'd always known my father's cruelty had no bounds, but for some stupid reason, I hadn't quite believed he would turn it towards me in such a brutal physical way.

"I'm more than happy to."

Before I could object, or say anything at all, Luca grabbed my hair and dragged me to my knees. "That's right. Get on your knees in front of your father. Show him the respect he deserves."

"Fuck you." I spat without thinking. I was pretty sure the pain he was inflicting was going to come no matter what I said so I didn't temper my words. "If you think your intimidation or torture is going to work with me, you are wrong. That's not how women work, asshole."

Luca laughed, the sound so evil it scraped down my spine with the finesse of a sharp knife. It creeped me out, as I imagined him cutting into me and peeling my skin back like a serial killer because that's exactly how depraved Luca could be. I'd heard the stories. On occasion, I’d even heard the screams.

I had been a nosy child. Despite the fear that often ran through me, I couldn't let it go and not know exactly what was happening. So I often followed Luca. Because of that, I knew a lot more about my father's organization than they could imagine. It's a wonder I was never caught.

"Big talk from a scared little girl," Luca growled while my father laughed in the background.

"Right?" my father agreed. "I guarantee if I unleashed Luca on you, it would take no time to get all the information I want and then some. However, if he ruins the only asset you have, your body, then I could jeopardize the agreement our family has with Kavanaugh and his entire family. But don't worry, daughter. He is creative and will find a way to save your pretty face and whore body and still get what we need from you."

I had no doubt he meant what he said. And maybe I could come up with something to appease him. But I would never share those diamonds with him. Once I'd thought I would use them as a negotiation tool with him, but now I wanted nothing more than to keep them as far away from him as possible. He could search to the ends of the earth and never get his hands on them. Let him suffer like the rest of us.

But I had to do something to save Carina.

She would be counting on me to help her. I just needed to get them off of me for now so I could find a way. Give them anything...

"I haven’t shared anything with that man. Until recently, I didn’t even know his name. He was a stranger I met in a bar."

"Fucking whore."

I heard the words come from Luca's mouth, but with my face pressed into the carpet I didn't see exactly what happened next. There was a loud crunching sound and something warm splattered across my cheek. The fear already coursing through me amplified as Luca's hold on me suddenly released and I toppled sideways.

"What did I fucking tell you?"

Oh shit.

I looked up in time to see Ronin grab Luca by the collar of his black shirt and throw him against the wall, his head landing with a resounding crack. Paintings crashed, causing glass to rain down on Luca's limp now form. I could see the blood spurting from what looked like a broken nose. None of which seemed to faze Ronin at all as he punched him again in the side of the head.

"Ronin." My father started. "That isn't necessary. He didn't hurt her."

"It's totally fucking necessary. She is mine now, and I specifically told you to stay away from her." The last was said at the same time he delivered a powerful kick to Luca's stomach.

The choking noises that came next sickened me. I scrambled to my knees and moved to the other side of the couch so I wouldn't have to see. Part of me wanted this. I could admit that. But actually watching one man beat another to death wasn't on my bucket list.

Ronin crossed to Luca and pressed his heel against the other man's neck. "If I were you, I wouldn't move. I'm far more inclined to kill you than to let you go." He spat in his face. "I had better never see your trash around her ever again, is that understood?"

"I think you've made your point." My father slowly enunciated. "However, if she is in your house now, I'd suggest you straighten her out before she turns rat against you. Going soft on your woman makes you look weak."

"I won't look weak when I tear you limb from limb in front of your own man."

A chill worked down my body. I had no doubt that Ronin meant what he said.

"Please, Ronin. I'm fine." I came out from behind the furniture and met his gaze. I recognized the bloodlust because I'd felt it too. Hell, I wasn't sure I had it in check, but the image of my sister in trouble reminded me that I had to stop this. For her sake.

He turned to Luca and spat again. "Next time, you won't get out alive. I hope I've made that clear."

For once, Luca did not turn his legendary sneer on his opponent. Nor did he say anything. It was possible Ronin had broken his jaw.

Ronin stepped away from him then and straightened his shirt and tie. "Honestly, if we meet again like this, I won't mind. I would take great pleasure in breaking every bone in your body before I separate your head from your body and deliver it to your family in a pretty little gift box. My lovely fiancée, however, probably won't consent to you ever touching her again, isn't that right, darling?"

Was that supposed to be a real question that he expected me to answer? I ignored it and Ronin laughed. If I wasn't sure before about the rumors about him, I was now. Although I had a feeling he'd gone easy on Luca because of my presence.

As two more of my father's men came through my suite door and collected Luca's body, I didn't miss the look of hatred my father shot both Ronin and me on his way out. This wasn't over.

Not by a long shot.