STOLEN || 18+ (Monsters #3)

.49. Angelo

I am sick of haunting myself from within like an old house.

- Erica Jong

. . .

Fabiano

It was the day before her birthday.

Rosa was busy making everything she could.

We took Leyla to a bookstore.

She dressed up in a leather coat over whatever she was wearing and high heels. She looked beautiful.

Giovanni and I were in our work clothes, we rarely got the time to wear casual clothes.

She entered the book store, almost skipping in excitement. This book store was a big one with everything from rare old books to the questionable books teenagers like Creeds' cousin, Kylie, read. Ashton and Olivia had raided it a lot, emptied the rare books collection but the owner had an endless supply.

Jennifer Ott approached us. My eyes lingered on the bar code on her wrist before I forced my eyes away. Another victim. I had seen countless barcodes like that and never could I get used to them.

"Hello," the old woman smiled, looking at us through her cat-like glasses. Her eyes cut straight to Leyla who was already looking around eagerly. 

"Hi," Leyla said, smiling. They shook hands and before I could comprehend it, were talking about books and walking away from us. I looked at Giovanni who nodded towards two chairs arranged in the corner.

"Let's sit. This is gonna take a while."

It took quite a lot of time.

. . .

Jennifer walked to us as Leyla raided another section of her bookstore. "Who is she?"

Giovanni didn't bother looking away from Leyla as he replied. "Leyla Campbell."

"What is she to you?"

"We are here for books," I muttered, standing up. She took a step back instantly. My body often made people take a step back, and I was the civilized one. "Not questions."

Jennifer took a deep breath. "She has a nice taste." She walked away, disappearing between the books. I eyed her. She has a nice taste. She said it almost...apologetically. 

Giovanni's eyes snapped to me. 

I stilled, my hand reaching inside my suit jacket. Giovanni texted Luca. 

The bookstore was fucking far from the mansion. 

"Baby," I said. 

Leyla looked at me. 

I motioned for her to come closer. 

She walked towards us, her heels echoing in the bookstore. When she was close, I gripped the back of her neck, pulling her to my chest. I took my gun out, eyes scanning the bookstore. 

"That was quick." 

A man stepped out from behind a bookshelf, dressed in a suit. Two more men followed him. Even though I had never seen him before, I could tell who he was. 

He looked to be in his mid-fifties and built like a fucking bull. My father used to curse this man to hell and back. Half of the territory we had once belonged to him. Till my father ripped him apart and Angelo went into hiding. 

He wore a dark suit with his grey hair slicked back. There were multiple scars on his neck. He used to be a powerful Capo once.

I kept Leyla tucked to me. She had frozen, probably sensing danger. Good to know she had some survival instincts left.

"Agostino," Giovanni said. I could hear the barely restricted fury in his voice. His knife danged between his fingers. 

"Valentino." He smiled. "I was hoping for a chat."

"Give me one good reason why," I said. "I should not shoot you in the head and feed you to my hounds."

"We can work together," he said. He tried to appear uneffected but I could see the nervous twitch of his fingers, the hurried motion of his eyes as he looked between me and Giovanni. So many tells. No wonder Camorra was dying.

"To kill the Testa," he continued. "I know your woman was promised to Cassian before you stole her. I know him well enough to know he'd try to steal her back. I want us to kill him and his brothers."

"We don't work with Camorristas," Giovanni said. "We'll kill Testas and then kill you."

Angelo smiled. "Cassian wants my position," he said. "If he kills me before you do and becomes the Capo. He'll be unstoppable. Now he had not two brothers capable of fighting and some men who follow him."

"Where is he?" I demanded.

"Can't tell you," he said. "Till we have an alliance."

I pushed Leyla behind me. "Shouldn't you want your son to be the Capo?"

His eyes flashed. Ah, he didn't know we knew that. "He uses his mother's name. I want an Agostino as a Capo, not a fucking Testa."

I met Giovanni's eyes for a moment.

"We'll contact you," I said to Angelo. "Meanwhile, if Camorra does any fucking thing like stealing our shipments, I will kill you."

Angelo nodded and then, he was gone.

Leyla was shaking.

I was shaking with rage. I pushed it down.

I pulled her to me, tugging her chin up. "Got all the books you want?"

She shakingly nodded. "Y-Yes."

Fucking great. Her stuttering was back. She has just started getting comfortable and fucking Angelo had to fuck it up.

I kissed her forehead.

"Take her out with you," I said to Giovanni. "I need to chat with Jennifer."

He nodded and picked her up, walking out. She looked weak, her eyes wide and scared. Mafia life was not for the people with soft hearts, and Leyla had the softest heart I knew.

I searched the bookstore till I found her.

She stood with her back towards me.

"Did you think he'd kill us?"

She turned. "I was counting on it." She was shaking with rage. "He said he would. I didn't know he'd make a fucking deal with you."

I removed the safety of my gun. "Because of Miss Summers, right? You did this because of her?"

"I know your woman is responsible. Testa is after her. Testa killed Anne." Tears slipped out of her eyes, her grief as noticeable as the sun. They were old friends, Jennifer and Miss Summers. I knew Jennifer would hold Miss Summer's death against us.

Testa was owning up to Killing Miss Summers and people were scared, knowing how skilled Miss Summers was. And now it seemed as if he had told everyone that Leyla was promised to him before we took her.

I pointed the gun at her arm and shot. Blood sprayed on the books behind her. "Betray me again and it'll be your heart."

. . .