Quiet Wealth by J.L. Drake

“I could really get used to this life.” Wyatt rolled his head on the velvet pillow and grinned behind his sunglass.

“Mm,” was all I offered because I could tell something was off. I wished I knew what the conversation was about with Elio and Mariano.

“Did you send the story to Georgio?”

“I did.” I rolled onto my back, letting the sun bake my front. “He was very pleased.”

“I’m sure.” He laughed but then went quiet. I looked over and saw him fiddling with his straw in the slushed ice drink.

“What?”

“I heard something from work, and I’m not sure what it means.”

“What did you hear?”

He shifted to his side and rested his head on his hand. “A woman was asking about you the other day.”

“Oh?” I sipped my drink, thinking the pool seemed very inviting at this point. “Who told you that?”

“Our bird lover.” He referenced our chatty secretary who we avoided like the plague. “It wasn’t just that the woman was asking for you, but how adamant she was on finding you.”

I stopped drinking my cocktail mid-sip and glanced over at him.

“Yeah.” He pointed to my face and moved to swing his feet over the side of the lounge chair. “So, I did something.”

“Wyatt?” I wasn’t sure where this was going.

“Normally, I would never meddle, but it got me thinking. Maybe your plan did work? Maybe she finally found you.”

“Oh, my God,” escaped my lips as I flipped between scared and hopeful.

“She’s meeting us tomorrow at eleven, by the field where the little road meets the main road.” His hand covered mine, and I looked down at it. “I promised you years ago that I would help you track her down, but I can cancel—”

“No.” I stopped him. “It’s what I wanted, what I needed to happen.”

Suddenly, loud voices could be heard, so we scrambled to our feet and rushed inside, following them to the living room.

“Family meeting,” Elio said to us as we approached. He looked ready to kill someone as he pointed to the couch, and I sat, pulling Wyatt down next to me.

He tapped a button, and a strange sound blanketed the room.

“Helps drown out our voices to the staff.” Niccola filled in my unanswered question.

“What’s going on, Elio?” Mama asked as she took a chair next to Francesco.

“One moment, Mama, I’m just waiting for Papa.” He positively radiated anger, and I was filled with dread. Piero arrived a few moments later, then Vinni came in, looking rattled. The seven of us stared up at Elio. I couldn’t resist the thought of how magnificent he looked as he stood there behind a grand leather chair with the family crest on the wall. The crow stood tall on the shield below the crown behind him. I thought of Piero’s words—family, strength, loyalty, protection.

“My gut,” he started and pulled my attention from my thoughts, “always told me to be careful. Yet, over the years, I overlooked many things, thinking I was paranoid. After all, our lifestyle lends itself to that. But this one has really taken its toll.”

I glanced at Andrea. She was shaking her head, unsure of what he was saying.

“We have a traitor among us.” He cleared his throat.

“What?” his father boomed, and I knew we were about to witness the darker side of the mafia.

“Someone is human trafficking through our ports and using our ships. It seems a young woman was found in one of the containers. Apparently, she is from Serbia, and there’s more.” He looked at his father. “She has numbers inked on her upper arm, numbers that correspond to the paper we recovered from Antonio, the one he was to deliver. Papa, our traitor is not just anyone,” Elio’s voice was eerie, “it is one of our very own.” His gaze swung over to mine, and I felt like I was suddenly on trial. “I couldn’t see it before. I was blinded with my own wounds from the past, but it all makes sense now.” Holding a firm gaze on me, he spoke again. “Papa, what has always been your biggest weakness?”

“Your mother.” He didn’t miss a beat.

“Exactly,” Elio paused, “and mine is Sienna.”

I swallowed back the intensity from his words. Elio loved me hard, and I did him. I was just too scared to admit it out loud. Though some of the scars were healing, my trust was still weathered.

“But he doesn’t know of your past.” Vinni spoke up clearly, knowing more to the story than we did.

“But he could.”

“Elio, who are you talking about?” His father grew impatient. “I’m a half a moment away from a stroke.”

Elio held up his hand. “The girl said there were two men who arrived at our dock to transfer her into a waiting truck. One wore all white, Stefano, and the other kept making a snapping noise as he spoke.”

“A snapping noise, as in—” Andrea’s hand flew to her mouth as she connected the dots. “Mariano?”

Just like that, my blood turned to ice and my mouth went dry. My mind flashed with the memory of how many times he had put me in harm’s way.

“Why?” came flying out of my mouth.

“I don’t know yet.” Elio sank into the chair as we all digested what he had shared. “He’s been in our lives since I was twenty, and that’s a long time to sink your claws into our family. He knows our ways, our secrets, and our weaknesses.”

“His whole family does, son. So, what, exactly, do we know? How was the girl found?” Piero seemed to have fought his way out of the fog the rest of us were still in.

“She managed to hide under some debris in the back of the container, and while they searched for her, some of our men happened to come by, and they ran away. There is more to the story, but I have yet to get all the details.” Elio pulled out his phone and read something. “The girl has been moved to the villa. We will have to decide how we want to handle the whole situation.”

“And we don’t know how much Mariano is involved?”

“No.” Elio shook his head at his father.

“But he is involved.”

“Seems that way, Papa.”

“Sienna,” Piero addressed me, “I’m sorry, sweet girl, that you were dragged into this mess, but I think it was for a reason. Whether Mariano knows who you really are to Elio or if it was a random coincidence that you two met, either way, I think we all need time to think about all this. Perhaps, as you have a relationship with him, it would be in all our best interests to keep things the way they are with him.”

“No, no way.” Elio waved a hand. “She will not be a player on our chess board.”

“Wait, Elio.” His father stopped him. “We would be watching her at all times. We just need to buy some more time.”

“He claims he loves her,” Elio huffed, and my jaw dropped open.

“He doesn’t love me,” I snapped and thought how insane that sounded. “He doesn’t know me well enough to love me.”

“I agree.” Elio nodded. “But he told me today that he needed time to think and clear his head because he had come to the conclusion that he’s in love with you.”

“Do you believe him, Elio?” His father sounded skeptical.

“I’d like to say no, but I’ve never seen him act like that before. He’s all over the damn place.”

My head spun as the liquor I had by the pool hit my bloodstream and had me in a daze. Did Mariano actually help Stefano Coppola traffic girls to Italy? Was he really double-crossing Elio’s family? Did he really know who I was to Elio? Did he really love me? Could you base love off the few small intimate moments we’d had?

“Sienna?” Piero sat down beside me. “I don’t know exactly how you feel for Elio, and I will not pry, but I think it’s best for now if everything remains as is. You and Elio need to keep whatever it is that you are a secret, behind closed doors, if you will. Just until we do more digging and buy us a little more time. I don’t believe Mariano would hurt you. That being said, I would like you to remain living here in our house for now.”

“Maybe she should leave,” Wyatt interjected carefully. “And forgive me if I’m overstepping, it’s just merely an idea, but we could disappear, and when the coast is clear we can return.”

“I appreciate the thought, Wyatt,” Andrea said kindly to him. “Sadly, anyone can be found with the right amount of money. The Coppola family have been after our territory and business for decades. If they even suspect that Sienna is important to our son, she would be in a grave or worse. Elio is next in line to take the family legacy.” Her teary gaze moved to mine. “I don’t want anything to happen to you, and I won’t lose you again. The safest place for you to be is here with all of us.”

“Of course, I’ll stay if it will help.” I was not going to argue with that. I was tired of running from my past, and if I could help the family, I would. As far as I was concerned, Andrea and Piero were my family.

“My dear Sienna.” Francesco, who had been quiet the entire time, stepped away from the wall toward me. “Will you be able to act like yourself around Mariano? Because if he gets even a whiff of what is going on, the whole thing could go very badly.” He bent down in front of me and covered my hands with his own. His warm eyes looked into mine, and I remembered the first time I met him at the family’s old home and how welcoming he had been. “If you think you can, then that’s wonderful, but you must be sure. Please speak your mind and let us know now, and we will think of a different direction.”

“I can do this.” I nodded at him, and he returned it with a hug then stood and joined Piero.

“Then it’s settled,” Piero said. “We’ll hatch a plan.” He clapped his hands and walked to the door and spoke to someone. “Now, where were we all before this meeting started?”

Donte stood at the door. “Dinner is ready outside. Please come and enjoy.”

And just like that, we rewound time and fell into our respective roles.

Dinner was as wonderful as always, although I found my appetite a little less than great. Elio finished first and kept the conversation light. He didn’t even blink when Mariano emerged from the side gate.

“Evening all. Please forgive me for interrupting your dinner. I’ll just be a moment.” He smiled over at Andrea, and she nodded. He gave a carefree wave as he took a spare seat at the table.

Elio’s hand ever so slowly shifted over to my leg and rested it there for a moment. It took everything in me not to turn to him and bury my head in his chest.

“Nice to see you again, Wyatt.”

“You as well.” My best friend played it cool as could be.

“Sienna,” he addressed me, and I froze.

“Breathe, bella,” Elio whispered from behind his napkin, and my cold hand fell on top of his, just needing more of him.

“I would like to take you out tonight.” Mariano smiled at me. He certainly acted the part of a young man in love. His eyes seemed to sparkle. Damn, Elio might be right. “I have some apologizing to do,” he added and gave me a humbled look.

“I didn’t realize you were coming by tonight, Mariano.” Piero shrugged. “I have some friends coming by who want to meet Sienna.”

Mariano’s smile wavered into a frown as he thought about something. “Tomorrow night, then.”

I hated how he told me rather than asked.

“Perhaps,” I smiled, “although I do have to find another assignment before Georgio fires me.” I tried to joke, but my throat was like sandpaper.

“Don’t worry, I know you never have a hard time finding something to write about.” He winked, and I nodded to be polite. “Let’s do Friday, then. We can talk over dinner. Be ready by six.”

Yes, sir.

Anna arrived a few minutes later, and I wanted to hug her. I was so pleased at the welcome distraction. Elio had mentioned before the house was a revolving door for people, so seeing her stroll in wasn’t a total surprise. I just wished she had better manners.

An unexpected rainfall ended our dinner quickly, and once inside, everyone went their own way while I wandered into the solarium. Mariano was being entertained by Anna, and they both were into the rum, so the solarium was the perfect place to escape.

I loved the rain, so I curled up with a blanket and a stiff drink and my book. The sound was soothing to my tired head, and the smell of plants around me was comforting.

Someone cleared their throat, and I turned to see Niccola leaning against the wall.

“I see you’ve found my hideout.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He waved me off. “May I join you for a moment?”

“Of course.” I didn’t know Niccola as well as I did Vinni, so the fact he wanted to hang out felt nice. He was slightly taller than Vinni and had a few more muscled pounds on him. They were both very attractive men. Apparently, they were all blessed with good genes.

“Thank you,” he said softly, “for not running and deciding to stay and help my family figure out all this mess. Although we are constantly at war with the other families, this one has really hit home. When Mariano and his family made a deal with Piero back in Sicily, it seemed like the best idea. Teaming up with a family that had ties with American and Libyan ports seemed like the perfect plan. The oil comes from Libya on ships to us, we sell it to the Americans, then the Americans send the ships back with the money. It’s a smooth operation that we have controlled for years.”

“Why not ship from Spain?” I was thinking of geography.

“Feds are on to Spain, plus we need to oversee everything ourselves.” He cleared his throat as he shifted seats and sat next to me on the long couch. “I see the way my cousin looks at you.” He studied my face for a beat. “I think it’s time you knew the truth about something that Elio will most likely never admit to you on his own.”

“I’m listening.”

“Elio and I have always been close. Even though we lived far away, we were always there for one another. He was like an older brother to me. When he first arrived here after they had to leave Sicily, I barely recognized him. He was messed up and had lost a bunch of weight, and it took him days to finally tell me what had happened, that he had to leave you behind.”

“He already shared with me why he had to leave.” I didn’t want another replay of the worst point in my life.

“But did you know he went back after you a short time later?”

“What are you talking about?” I had no idea.

“He didn’t last long before he snapped, packed a bag, and went to leave. But when he got to his car, there was a note on his windshield. It was a picture of you in Sicily with the words, you go after her and we’ll kill her before you can ever reach her.”

“What?” I set my drink down and changed my position to face him straight on. “I never knew that.”

“We never figured out who it was that sent the note, but Elio vowed then that he would never bring you into his life because you were already a target.”

“Wow.” I pushed my hair back when I thought about how he gave me up so I would be happy and free.

“I’ve never met a man who loves someone the way he does you, Sienna.”

I nodded, unsure what to say to that.

“Let’s just get through this terrible situation with Mariano and see where the world takes the two of you next.” He smiled warmly at me. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with you.”

“Me too. Thanks, Niccola.”

He tucked his hands in his pockets and started walking out of the small room. “Popsicles,” he chuckled, “if you want to annoy Mariano, he hates the sound of someone sucking on a popsicle.”

“Well, I’m glad it’s summer.” I grinned, thankful for the tip.

After a bit of mulling over Elio’s secret, I headed toward the kitchen to see where everyone was. Donte zipped by and muttered the word study. I didn’t know if he actually meant that for me, but I found myself heading in that direction.

Pushing the door open, I spotted Elio by the window, deep in thought. I admired his relaxed look of unbuttoned dress shirt and rolled up sleeves, and judging by the way his hands kept going to his head, it was clear how he got his messy hair. It was times like this I saw the boy who saved me. I’d spent so much of my life questioning and wondering why that I forgot to just live. With a deep breath, I stepped inside the room.

“Did you really try to come back for me?” I whispered, and his head dropped forward.

“Niccola,” he hissed.

“Just answer me, Elio. Did you really change your mind and decide to come after me?”

“Yes.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I let a little more of my armor flake away.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because it didn’t matter.”

“It matters to me.”

“I didn’t go through with it.” He shrugged and kept his back to me.

“Yes, but only because you got a warning not to, and that’s not the point. The point was you were going to come for me.”

“I should’ve.”

“I wish you had, too, Elio, but it means so much to me that you really wanted to. I thought I was just an afterthought for you, but knowing you were going to risk it all and come find me, is…” I trailed off when he whirled around, and in three strides he was in was in front of me. Using his broad chest, he backed me up to the wall.

“I answered your question, now answer mine.” His eyes pierced through me, and I felt like the air in the room had been sucked out. “Do you still love me? The way you used to?” I opened my mouth but slammed it shut. He shook his head, forbidding me to lie. “You know my secrets, now tell me yours.”

“Yes,” I whispered, and before I could think, his lips were on mine, devouring every last piece of me. I matched his intensity, not wanting to be anywhere but here. He leaned over and pushed the door closed, lifted me in the air, and carried me to the couch.

“No matter what,” he huffed as he pulled my shirt off, tossing it to the floor, “I’m never leaving you again.”

I pushed my hands on his chest to stop his kisses and stared up at the man who owned my heart since I was a child. “Promise me, Elio.”

For the first time since he received it, he slid off his family ring and placed it on my ring finger. “I promise.” He kissed my fingers.

I finally let go and gave in to him.

“One more thing,” I stopped him and pressed my hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat, “if we’re going to do this, I think it’s time I learned about family obligations.”

“Really?” His face lit up, and I gave a nod.

It is time.

“First,” he leaned me back, “let me show you just how much I still love you.”

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast and a couple of pointed glances from Wyatt, who was no doubt wondering where my appetite came from, we waited for Vinni to find us.

“Ready?” He flipped his keys around his fingers.

“Let’s go.” Wyatt dragged me off the couch and outside to the car. “I know you’re scared, and frankly, so am I, but you’ll kick yourself in the butt later if you don’t go.”

“I know.” I tried to shake my nerves off as we settled in for the short car ride to the crossroads.

A few times, Vinni would answer some calls but spoke quietly so to not disturb us. I was becoming rather fond of him and Niccola. There was something strange about knowing that these men would kill with their bare hands without so much as a blink, but could still be so loving and kind. Wyatt always said he admired my ability to adapt to strange situations, and I had certainly proved that.

“Ready?” Wyatt touched my hand and brought me back to the present. I followed him out of the car, and we stood on the side of the road while the hot sun poured down on us.

As warm as it was, my hands were like ice, and my heart beat steadily against my breastbone. Was I really about to meet the woman who had given birth to me? Pain, heartbreak, and sheer excitement raced through me all at once. If I could, I would have wiggled right out of my skin. I was so amped up.

“Here we go.” Wyatt let out a long breath as two cars came toward us.

They parked, and three men stepped out and stood to one side while the driver opened one of the back doors.

“This is it.” He was just as nervous as I was.

A slim woman about my height, short hair to her shoulders, approached us. Her eyes were as deep blue as my own, and she was dressed like she was the one who just stepped out of Fab Magazine right down to her stunning heels. Her hand covered her mouth as she took another cautious step forward, mirroring my actions.

“Sienna?” she barely whispered, and I gave a small nod. “I’m Eleonora.” She held herself with such confidence that I tried to match her stance.

“What did you give me when I was a child?” I blurted, not wanting to feel anything until I knew.

Her lips stretched into a smile, and her eyes softened. “A teddy bear pendant.”

I burst into tears and pulled my necklace free from under my dress.

She reached out to touch me but stopped herself. “You still have it?”

I nodded and bit my lip as her gaze moved over my shoulder, and suddenly the mood swung in a different direction.

The sound of weapons being drawn and the glimmer of steel in the sunlight blinded me momentarily as Eleonora reached for me and quickly pulled me to her. Then she stepped in front of me with a gun in her hand.

“I know who you are!” she screamed at Elio, who seemed to arrive out of thin air. His gun was pointed at her as Vinni moved up next to him. “You wear the crow with the golden crown.” She nodded at his ring that I had slipped back on his finger that morning.

My heart beat against her as I fought to see and to make sense of what was happening.

“How did you find her?” she screamed while the gun stayed steady in her hand. As I tensed and tried to step around Eleanora, she spoke sharply to one of her men, and I felt a hand reach around my waist, drawing me to him.

“Orlando,” she commanded, “keep her safe.”

“Of course,” the man replied as his arm tightened around me.

“Let go of me,” I hissed, but he didn’t even seem to hear me. “Elio?” I whispered urgently, sending his attention over to me. His eyes moved down to the man’s hold on me.

“I will kill you first, if you don’t let her go.” Elio’s voice dripped with fury. “She’s not going anywhere with you!”

Eleonora’s men created a horseshoe around Vinni, Elio, and Wyatt. Wyatt’s face was white with shock, and his eyes darted around in terror.

“I beg to differ,” Oscar, the man holding me, said confidently.

Suddenly, Elenora took a hesitant step forward, and the gun wavered in her hand as I heard her whisper, “Francesco?”

To Michela Martorella, for all your help with this book! You were invaluable to me.

To Vanessa Webb for helping revamp a good chunk of this story.

To Christina DeTorio for helping revamp a good chunk of this story and for opening the door to my dark side again and providing me with a wealth of knowledge that helped my mind untangle and run free.

To Steve and Jill Chamness, for all the white-collar crime information and for being a great sounding board for my ideas.

To Kim Kelchner and Veronica Nelson, who still beta read while enduring Covid. You ladies are rock stars.

To Elizabeth Clark for beta reading and helping me find a fantastic show to help spin my wheels some more. I love that we are both sucked into that world together. Bring on book two!

To my mother, for once again being my person while I ride this author journey.

To my daughter Brooke, who relishes my love of “fun” endings.

To Tommy Tardie, for creating the perfect location for one of my key scenes. I can’t wait to visit The Flatiron Room in New York someday.