T
__________________Caroline pov_______________________________
The air just held an awkward weight to it when I made my way down to the living room. It was like when you walked into a room and everyone stopped talking. In my case they were smiling.
All except my mother in law who wanted to meet me in my bedroom, while I rested propped up on pillows. She wanted me to take care of her grand babies.
I'd assured her several times that bed rest didn't mean my feet suddenly fell off or that I had to be in bed all day. Just that I needed to rest and take more breaks.
My room also smelled like sex....not something I wanted her around at the moment.
Camilla, my sister in law, was trying to hide a sneaky smirk behind her coffee cup. It wasn't working.
"What?" I glanced around the wide living room. Luca was reclined on one end of the couch, his mother on the other. She was sitting all poised and proper....no stiffly. She was extremely interested in the Sears catalog on her lap.
Camilla was almost dissolved into giggles, her face red and flushed. She was desperately trying not to laugh. I made a mental note to never sit near her at a funeral.
"I didn't know you were coming so fast." I had expected them to take their time getting her, New York was a rushed city full of traffic.
"I didn't know my brother could make you cum so fast either." Luca and Camilla lost in practically falling off their chairs. They apparently thought the joke was hilarious.
I could feel the heat rising in my body. I needed to sit down or I'd melt from embarrassment into a puddle on the floor.
My mother in law took the opportunity to smack her son with the book. It didn't do much except make him hold his hands up in defense.
He was proud of himself. He hadn't even made the joke.
"Mama, Caroline is pregnant with twins, surely you know how that happened." Audry stood up to make tea, at least that's what I heard her mumble. She smacked her daughter on her way to the kitchen.
"He's still my son, my baby boy." She grumbled.
I grabbed a pillow and placed it over my face. Luciano Changretta and his family were going to be the death of me.
___________________________________________________________
Luca's Pov
Between my ma and my mate, I didn't think I was going to make it out of the living room alive and I hadn't even cracked a joke.
It was funny to watch them shut down though. I could feel Care's embarrassment but she looked so pretty when her cheeks flushed like that.
My mood shifted rapidly however when the phone rang, Mateo walked in and gave a sharp jerk to his head. I knew this was the phone call I'd been waiting for.
I'd spent part of the morning thinking of a wedding gift. Luckily I had a cohort in Detroit that could make it happen quickly.
I ran up the stairs and slammed my office door. Caroline didn't need to know the connections I had made. Not yet at any rate, I'd wait until she was in the clear medically to explain how I'd pieced together who was behind the attacks on my mate and family.
"Hello, Changretta speaking." I sat back waiting for the fall out. This was going to be good.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! Are you trying to start a fucking war!" Caroline's step mother sounded young, her voice was even. From the pictures I'd seen that Caroline had, she was quite a looker. A black widow for sure.
"Me, start a war? I don't know what you're talking about. Your the women who was married to a Detroit gangster while you were fucking a Chicago soldier yeah. What do you think that's going to do to mafia alliances in either city? Congratulations on your wedding by the way." I smiled when she called me a sting of strong names. I was used to hearing them from men however, not gold diggers.
I waited patiently knowing how this conversation was going to end, it was worth a little disrespect before the proverbial ax would drop on her scrawny neck.
"You are going to pay for publishing that article and that slander! You have no power here!" She roared. She was a alive one, I'd give Joseph that.
"A strong allegiance doesn't make you safe though does it? Not to people like you. You are the one sweetheart that's got no power, my I remind you of that." I was trying to keep my voice even, not show her how much I was enjoying this.
Leo and I had spoken at length this morning about the implications of her jumping mafia lines. He apparently never liked her either. An enemy of an enemy was my friend....
She wasn't the most loved person so the only protection she had would be a small Chicago fraction. She wasn't even smart enough to bag one of Capone's men, no, that would mean war. She shacked up with some gang member soldier, no one of consequence to a big dog such as Capone or myself.
She was still playing with small change in a large bag of money, as far as this Capo was concerned she was nothing.
" I know Capone and I know you two are enemies." She hissed. Clearly a loving and blushing bride. I almost felt bad for the poor loser who married her, almost.
"I know Capone too, he's a real business man. He ain't a member of the black hand like I am. Capone is a gang boss. I'm a fucking Mob boss. Two completely different bodies of water Sylvia. He's a lake, a great lake at best. I'm a fucking ocean. Guess which one is more dangerous." I smiled and leaned forward on my desk. It didn't matter that she couldn't see me. I had the power. My gleaming teeth were about to tear out her throat.
"What do you want?" She asked in a more demure tone. That's what I had been waiting for.
"I know it was you. I was looking through some newspapers and Carolines old photos, letters and diary entries. See, your ex husband never had the balls to be able to pull off a lavish lifestyle or run a gang. That's what you are attracted to. Money and power. You sent Joseph to lure out his own daughter, he was going to expose your affair. Now, after I had some thought, I realized Joseph was probably biding his time eh, taking too long in New York. Your boyfriend suggested he might align with me, expose your adulterous ways which would hurt your prospects among the gang members right? Correct me if I'm wrong in any of this." I wasn't. She was the type. Fucking whore.
"See your step daughter, who you weren't that great too, she mated a New York crime boss. A Changretta. You knew you weren't going to snag me, Capone or Nelson in Boston, so why not take out someone you were resentful and jealous towards. Fucking dumb though. So what did you get out of it? You think your new man was going to move in? " That was the plan, if he didn't she'd have him knocked off and remarry.
"Capone would let us have New York." I laughed at this. That had taken me off guard. No, Capone was a highly intelligent man. A pain in my ass but I respected him from one boss to another. He'd move in first, she really thought too highly of herself.
"Thank God he blessed you with a pretty face and a nice ass cause he didn't give you shit for brains. I spoke to Capone this morning as well as the Detroit gangs. You're a sitting duck darling. You ever, make the mistake to come for me or mine again....ain't nobody including God that's gonna stop me. "
____________________________________________________________________________
