Beast I Can’t Tame by L.K. Shaw
Chapter 30
Giovanni
My feet areheavy as I trudge through Empire to the elevators. It’s like I’m walking in a haze that won’t clear no matter how many times I try to blink it away. The ride up drags, like I’m traveling through syrup. Even the view I normally love doesn’t appeal. Instead, I keep my gaze focused on the floor.
It’s been a shit week. Francesca has been wonderful. She went to the funeral home with me and helped with all the small details. There’s no family for a funeral, no will, and since I have no idea what Beatrice’s last wishes were, I plan on having her cremated. I’ve kept busy so I don’t have to think too long about the fact she’s dead.
I open the door of the conference room, and come to an abrupt halt. There are only three occupants: Jacob, Pierce, and Pierce’s mother, whose expression is one of defiance and, to my shock, utter hatred. It’s not just me it’s leveled at either. It’s all of us. What the hell is going on?
“Close the door, Giovanni,” Jacob says in a low, rough growl, from behind his desk. Rage pours from him.
My gaze dances over all of them trying to figure out what’s happening. I close the door and move across the room until I’m standing within feet of the group. Pierce, as usual, stands against the wall with his arms crossed and eyes trained on his mother. The indifference he usually presents is gone. In its place is fury.
“Gio,” Jacob says, and I jerk my attention to him. Only, he’s glaring at his aunt. “There is one thing that the syndicate requires above all else. Do you know what that one thing is?”
More confusion ebbs through me. What is he asking me that for? He turns his gaze to me and raises his brows, waiting for my answer. My mind races. “Loyalty.” It comes out more of a question than I intend.
He nods succinctly before returning his focus to Francesca’s mother. “That’s correct. Loyalty. When you’re initiated into the family, you swear a blood oath that the organization comes first above all else.”
Wait, is he questioning mine? Even after everything?
“The only people we don’t require blood oaths of are the women,” he continues. “They’re born, or marry, into this family and loyalty is assumed. Except, it would seem, that not every sister or wife knows the fucking meaning of that word.”
“It’s you men who don’t know the meaning of it,” Francesca’s mother spits.
Pierce pushes off the wall with a growl, and looms over her, his fists clenched at his side as though he’s fighting not to punch something. “Shut your goddamn mouth.”
At last, she flinches, and fear flashes across her face. Her son stands there, his chest heaving with the breaths he takes, glaring at her.
“Tell us why, Sofia,” Jacob bites out. “Tell Giovanni why you had his mother killed.”
Shock holds me immobile and the air freezes in my lungs. A buzzing starts in my ears. I couldn’t have heard that right. I stumble backwards and collapse into a chair, unable to take my eyes off the woman seated in front of me. She’s doesn’t even have the nerve to look ashamed of what she’d done. She sits there—cold and callous.
“You were supposed to take the blame for it,” she snaps at Jacob. “You’ve threatened to kill her more than once. Gio was supposed to think it was your fault. The two of you were supposed to go to war with each other until one of you killed the other.”
“Why?”
“Because both of you are Salvatore’s sons. If I can’t hurt him, then I’ll hurt the both of you,” Francesca’s mom snaps with so much bitterness.
“Christ,” Pierce breathes out and steps away from his mother and turns to his cousin whose expression is marked with understanding.
“Can someone please explain to me what she is talking about?”
“My poor mother is a bitter old bitch, because Sal chose Aunt Rosalie over her.”
“He told me he loved me,” she yells. “He was supposed to marry me. Then that sister of mine showed up and it was like I never existed. She was perfect. The perfect wife. The perfect mother. Instead, I was forced to marry some measly soldier. A nobody. I deserved to be Sal’s wife. To be the queen of the syndicate.”
Jacob glares at her. “You are a nobody and didn’t deserve shit. My father clearly saw you for who you really were.”
Francesca’s mother seethes. “Sal was weak. Just like you. Paulie, too. I told him he needed to put more pressure on the Russians, but he wouldn’t listen to me. It’s why I had to go to Popov myself.”
“Excuse me?” Jacob’s voice is guttural. This time it’s him who clenches his fists. If he could kill her, he probably would. It’s because of Popov that Brenna was kidnapped and tortured.
She merely laughs. “All this time, you thought it was Paulie alone working with the Russians. But he was just as useless as the rest of you men. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
Francesca is going to be devastated.
“What about Francesca? Why the sudden change in how you treat her? Inviting her to lunch. Being nice to her,” I snap.
“Because I knew you weren’t going to leave her alone, and I needed a way to get information. But that turned out to be a worthless effort. Stupid girl only talked about her photography,” her mother scoffs.
I glance at Pierce. There’s no hiding what his mother did to mine. She’ll have to deal with the consequences of those actions. But I will never tell Francesca that the woman was only using her. I’ll make sure her brother keeps the secret as well. I refuse to destroy the hopeful optimism she maintains. Finding out how her mother really feels will do nothing but hurt her.
“There is a decision that has to be made,” Jacob says. His steely gaze drifts from his aunt and turns to me. “I’m leaving it up to you to choose Sofia’s punishment.”
Me? “What do you mean?”
“Betrayal of the organization is punishable by death. You were the one she betrayed the most,” he notes. “Which means you decide how to handle this. I can exile her. Send her to one of our other outfits. They will be made aware of her crimes, and she will be treated accordingly.”
I sense an or. “What are the other options?”
“Sofia De Luca will meet with an untimely accident, and we’ll all spit on her grave,” Jacob announces with disdain.
“You would kill your own aunt?” she gasps and turns to Pierce. “Your own mother?”
“I’ll be the first one to dump dirt on your coffin. You’re not any kind of mother to me. Or to Francesca,” Pierce sneers.
I stare at this woman, this stranger. She killed my mother. Can I really do the same to her? Can I do that to Francesca? It’s one thing to keep her from learning how much her mother could have hurt her. It’s another to be responsible for her death. I’m sure Jacob and Pierce would do it in a heartbeat. Their hatred fills the room. No matter how they look at me after, I can’t have her death on my hands.
“Exile her. Keep her away from me. But more importantly, keep her away from Francesca. She’s not allowed to contact her in any way. No phone calls. No letters. She’ll remain physically alive, but otherwise, she’ll be dead to her daughter,” I finally say, turning to Jacob, unable to look at her any longer.
He nods, his expression not giving anything away. The room is starting to close in on me. I need to get out of here. “If there’s nothing else?” Please don’t let there be anything else.
“Nothing. I’ll make sure it’s all taken care of,” Jacob says.
Without another word, I quickly leave the room and get in the elevator. Everything is a blur. The walk through the casino floor. The drive back to Francesca’s. It all passes by without my awareness.
“Gio?” It’s her voice. I’m here already?
Something in her tone brings my head up. Even she’s a blur. She grabs my arm and drags me into the house. Why can’t I see anything? I’m sitting down. A choked noise rips from my throat. The scent of coconut fills my nose. Warm hands clasp my head, and a soft body presses against my cheek, holding me tight. My arms wrap around Francesca’s waist as the first sob escapes.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” she says over and over again as I cry against her belly, my tears wetting her shirt.
All she does is hold me tighter to her, stroking my hair, and whispering that everything will be all right.
