Accidental Bride by Cristina Lollabrigida
ChapterTwenty
As Luca’s deadline approached,Drake couldn’t get his threat out of his head. He wasn’t afraid of Luca Donato—he needed to formulate his own plans. The first thing was a sidebar with his mentor, Jerry. Upon entering Drake’s office, the man frowned and shook his head at the apparent disorganization.
“You’ve been combing through these documents for days.”
The stack of twenty white cardboard file boxes to the right of Drake’s desk were still waiting for his attention. The half dozen to his left were complete. He read through the digital copies while at home, and it still wasn’t enough.
“This case needs to be foolproof. The associate I’m bringing in isn’t caught up to speed yet. I need your help,” Drake said in desperation.
“When people make friends with judges, they usually ask favors to vacate a conviction or forgive a couple of parking tickets. Not wade through boxes of discovery.”
Drake looked at his mentor intently. “I’m serious, Jerry. This case is not easily won due to the Russo influence. You know we only have one shot at this.”
“You think I don’t know that? I would appreciate it if you didn’t question my integrity,” Jerry said, aggravated.
Drake sighed and set the folder he’d been looking through back on his desk. “Says the pimp that rose to become a judge. You wouldn’t be a successful club owner or judge if certain quid pro quo arrangements weren't made. You’d be serving time yourself.”
“Watch your tone, Mr. Walker. Your actions and associations could potentially jeopardize your professional reputation and standing, especially given your background and current connection with the defendant's sister,” Jerry warned.
Drake began flipping through another file. “I’m just saying that it’s getting harder to work this case ethically, and that’s why I’m combing through discovery. It’s worth noting that Marcello Russo wasn’t the only person involved in the crime. He unfortunately became the scapegoat who was apprehended. Taking a crime boss’s son off the streets will open the city up to major feuds and plays for power.”
“What about you?” Jerry asked.
“Alessandra’s mine. I’ll protect her until the day I die. If Luca Donato has any say, it will be soon, which is why I’m bringing an associate onto this case. If anything happens to me, someone needs to step in right away. This case can’t afford missteps.”
“Luca Donato threatened you?” Jerry leaned forward.
“I’m not afraid of him. I can handle myself.” Drake handed Jerry a manilla folder. “Luca’s not a lieutenant anymore. He’s been promoted to Underboss. Tony named Luca the heir of the Russo family.”
“Shit, Drake. You can’t take a threat from him lightly.”
“Promise that if anything happens to me, you and Noah will look after Alessandra. Although she is the daughter of a crime boss, she was not brought up as a mafia princess.”
As Drake continued recounting Alessandra’s words, his emotions began to surface.
“Do you love her?” Jerry asked.
“She’s a shining light in the shit we’re wading through.”
“Don’t dodge my question, Mr. Walker,” Jerry said sternly.
“Promise me you’ll do everything in your power to ensure her safety if something happens to me. She deserves stability and happiness.”
Drake opened his wall safe and showed the gun he kept to Jerry. He knew how to handle a firearm, though he was far from an expert marksman. He had taken courses in self-defense and carried a concealed weapon because a prosecutor couldn’t be too careful regarding high-profile cases. If Luca wanted a fight, Drake would go down swinging.
“Do you think they discovered the truth about you, Drago?”
“I’ve told you before not to call me that,” Drake growled, shaking his head.
“You need to tell her the truth.”
Alessandra confided her innermost struggles and secrets, while Drake kept her at arm’s length. There were some dark secrets he hid so deep below the surface, Alessandra faced a world of hurt if she discovered the truth. It would destroy everything they were building.
“You know I can’t do that. More than my marriage is at stake.”
“Has there been news on Enzo’s moves?”
Enzo Prazza was another notorious crime boss. His last known whereabouts were in Italy. He’d fled Chicago in disgrace decades ago but planned to encroach on American territory. With the floundering Russo empire, it was only a matter of time before he was stateside.
“Are you sure you can handle this, Drago?”
“I escorted Alessandra home to pack her belongings and was able to gauge the strength of their defense. All guards are armed; even Luca wore a firearm in the home. Striking the heart is a widowmaker.”
“What do you suggest then?”
“We buy our time,” Drake stated. “A guard named Russell has a soft spot for Alessandra. He’s been caring for her since she was a child, even putting himself on the line to protect her. He is the only person in that god-forsaken place that may be our in.”
Drake owed the man a debt of gratitude. If it wasn’t for Russell’s care, who knows what would’ve happened to Alessandra. With the thirteen-year age difference between them, his wife was only a child when he returned from Italy. He felt responsible for leaving her in hell since she turned eighteen. He should’ve flexed his muscles and laid claim to her that morning months ago outside the courthouse when she fell into his arms. If he had been more careful, he could’ve avoided a sham wedding and things would be different.
Besides his work as a prosecutor, Drake worked alongside Jerry in a covert task force aimed at dismantling the Chicago mob. Jerry avoided prison time after being collared years ago by agreeing to become a confidential informant. In the days when he was still a pimp, girls occasionally brought information without realizing he was a rat.
A high-ranking government official grew suspicious and stopped hiring Jerry’s girls. It placed a target on his back, and he was pulled out. He adopted a new identity and was given seed money for a new life. But Jerry wasn’t ready to stop bringing criminals to justice.
He attended law school and used the seed money to open an elite club. Instead of using girls for information, he had the place wired. Although the evidence collected within his club was not admissible in court, the task force had alternative methods to utilize the information.
Every member underwent a thorough background check, and their files were encrypted for security. He’d met Drake when he was caught sneaking in. Though he was behind a mask, the unidentified young man immediately raised a flag.
When security apprehended Drake, they escorted him directly to the boss. Jerry quickly recognized the angry young man was a kindred spirit. He took him under his wing without hesitation. Drake didn’t like to think where he could’ve ended up if he had fallen into the wrong hands and detonated.
Jerry felt a sense of pride toward the gentleman standing in front of him. He was aware that the current scenario was causing distress for Drake, and his friend was on the brink of losing control once more.
“Don’t you think Alessandra deserves to know her place in all of this?”
Drake shook his head, “It’s too soon. She still sees her brother as innocent. I meant what I said about protecting her, Jerry. I’ll protect her from everyone, especially myself.”
It was only a matter of time before Drake lulled Alessandra into a sense of security. She would be the key to bringing down her entire family. Once that happened, she would hate him forever, and he made every effort to make peace with that.