Dangerous Beauty: Part Two: A Mafia Princess (30 page)

“I didn’t do that,” Carter said, “I don’t know how that happened.”

Anastacia nodded. “I think I know who did it. It was the same person who took your father’s body. He was gone by the time I got there, and his body had been replaced with a man I didn’t recognize—”

“He wasn’t there …? But— I left him there …” Carter interrupted.

“Silas had gotten there before me, Carterina. He called me and asked me where I had taken you. He said now that Robert was gone, he would be taking you with him. He soon found out that I didn’t know where you were, either. This was when you were most vulnerable. You were defenseless and alone. If Silas had found you before you left with Nathan and the boys, it would have been … very bad …”

Anastacia stood up from the table. “The rest of the photos in that folder are members of both the Stone and Steele family that each of you need to watch for …” She walked over to the wall and pressed a button. A screen lowered from the ceiling. Anastacia picked up a remote control. “These faces are important to remember, but Silas is the one that may shock you. Angelo,” she called.

Angelo nodded and walked over to Nathan and Carter, taking the empty seat next to Nathan. Anastacia came to Carter’s side and took her hand. Nathan frowned as his father placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Anastacia and I want to be honest with the both of you. If we aren’t, then the two of you will be blindsided, and that’s not what we want,” Angelo said softly.

“What hell is going on here?” Nathan said

Carter was afraid to speak. She held tightly to Nathan’s hand and prepared herself for the worst.

“I’ll go first, Angelo.” Anastacia said. “Carterina, the only way that I can be sure you trust me is if I tell you the truth. But before I do, I just need to stress to you that …” An unwelcomed tear fell from her eye. “I love you so much. Everything I’ve done, I’ve done because I love you. You’re father loved you, too— so much. Robert raised you, he taught you how to defend yourself, and he was an amazing father to you, even though …” Tears began to stream from Anastacia’s eyes. “Shit.”

Even though. The two words echoed in Carter’s head over and over again until she completed her mother’s statement on her own. Carter touched her mother’s face softly and wiped the tears from her eyes. She nodded her head as if she understood. She knew exactly what Anastacia was going to say. “Even though … biologically … I am Silas’s daughter . .” Carter finished for her mother. Carter couldn’t really say how she felt because right now, she didn’t feel anything. She was numb. She leaned forward and kissed her mother’s tears. She tasted the saltiness of her mother’s regret on her lips and ran her fingers through Anastacia’s hair. “I love you, too, Mom— unconditionally.”

“That’s what your father used to say to me. You are so much like Robert,” she whispered. She kissed Carter’s forehead and smoothed her hair back from her face. “There is just a little more, sweetheart …” she said. “I’m so sorry. We are almost finished. I promise.”

“Nathan, son,” Angelo began to speak. “I want you to know that I have known this information for months now. I only waited to tell you because I wanted you to focus on your happiness with your new wife— and not on this.” He took a deep breath, then continued. “Nathan, your mother and I proved not to be a match in the past, and I wanted to make it clear to you that she is not to blame for that. Everything she did, I drove her to. I frightened her on more than one occasion. Your mother was an angel trapped with a demon, and it drove her to seek help to get away from me. Now because I’m a selfish man, I wouldn’t allow her to take you with her because you’re my son. There’s nothing in this world that I love more than you. She wanted to take you from me once, and I threatened her. My love for you was too strong, and when she said she was going to take you away from me, I scared her so that she would never think of doing it again. I didn’t hurt her physically, but I know I broke her heart. I don’t know how she did it, but she contacted Robert and asked him to help her get away from me. Robert— despite his profession— was a good man. He decided to help her because she was in need. He met with her in the city several times, but unfortunately, he was being watched …”

“As Carterina grew, Silas became jealous of Robert. And he was obsessed with Carterina,” Anastacia added. “He wanted to take her back from his brother, but by then Robert was attached. He loved Carterina as a father loves his child, and he’d had to threaten his brother for the first time. He told him to stay away from her or he’d kill him. This hurt Silas more than it frightened him. He felt like Robert had stolen something from him … and so he wanted to take something from Robert, too …”

Angelo took a deep breath “Because they were meeting so often, Silas was under the impression that Robert and Anya were romantically involved. He thought they were in love, and he wanted to take her away from him …”

“So he did. I got it …” The words shot out of Nathan’s mouth. “Is it okay if we don’t discuss this any further …” He couldn’t take any more of this. He couldn’t stand to see the heartbroken look on Carter’s face. The two of them sat stone still, hand in hand, and completely silent.

“There’s one more thing, son …”

You’ve got to be kidding me!
Nathan didn’t think there was anything else they could possibly say to shock them … but he was wrong.

“Carterina, baby girl, I want you to take a deep breath for me before I show you this …” Anastacia pressed a button on the remote in her hand and an image popped up on the screen.

Carter and Nathan frowned in confusion.

“Why are you showing us this?” Carter asked.

The man on the screen walked across a busy street. He was tall, handsome, brown-skinned, wore his hair in a fade, and had a toned, muscular frame. He wore a pair of black sunglasses, black dress pants, and a tight-fitting, black, short-sleeved shirt.

Carter looked at her mother. “That’s … Daddy …” she said, wondering why her mother was showing her a picture of her father.

Her hesitation to say ‘Daddy’ didn’t go unnoticed by Anastacia. Anastacia shook her head. “No, it’s not. My men took this picture last year in London. They had a chance to send it to me before Silas killed them.”

“Mom, what are you talking about? That’s Daddy. That’s his face. That’s how I used to cut his hair. And that’s how he dressed every day. So unless he faked his own death to get away from me, that’s not a picture from last year,” Carter said, frustrated.

Anastacia switched to the next picture. This time, the man was staring directly at the camera with no sunglasses, an evil smirk on his face.

“Everyone,” Angelo said, standing up and walking over to the big screen. “If you see this man, head the other direction unless you have a group of men with you to back you up. He doesn’t go anywhere without a heavy group of his people with him. This is
not
Robert Steele. He likes to portray himself as his brother, but Robert is dead. This is his identical twin brother— Silas …”

“I’m losing my mind, Angelo. Maybe we should call them, make sure they’re okay.”

Anastacia paced back and forth in front of Angelo, running her fingers through her hair.

“Stop worrying,
bella
. Kyle and the boys are with them,” Angelo said, trying his best to calm Anastacia— and himself. He was worried, too.

“What if they don’t come? Did we tell them too much too soon? What if we’ve ruined their relationship? What if they leave us forever, Angelo?” She stopped pacing and turned to him in panic. “Oh God! What if something happened to them on the way here? What if Silas is here? Or Adrien? We need to go look for them. I can’t handle this—”

“Anastacia!” Angelo gripped Anastacia’s shoulders and gave her a little shake. “Calm down!” He felt as if he was speaking to both her and himself. In all honesty, Angelo was losing it a little, too. He was just better at hiding his emotions than Anastacia was. Being a mother had changed Anastacia drastically. “Ana, just breathe. They will be here soon,” he said calmly. “Pull yourself together. It’s eleven— we have to go in now. They’re waiting for us to come down …”

Anastacia nodded. “They’re waiting for you, not me, Angelo. Have they been forewarned of my presence here today? I don’t have the patience for idiocy …”

“I haven’t had a chance to say anything, Anastacia. I’ve been busy …”

“
Angelo!
Why would you not warn them that the woman you had ordered them to capture and bring to you if they saw her is here?”

Angelo shrugged and waved her off as he collected his things. “They won’t do anything when you walk in with me.”

Anastacia groaned. “You’re such a fucking idiot,” she muttered.

Angelo shot a glare at her. “Watch that shit, Anastacia. I’m not putting up with your damn attitude today. I think I took enough insults last night!”

“Oh, you mean when I found out about the other woman you’re fucking?”

“It’s not that big of a deal, Anastacia.”

“Bullshit! You moved that bitch into your house …”

“I don’t give a shit about Cynthia— I tried to tell you that. Having her in my life makes me look good. That’s something you taught me! Your father married Morgana because she made him look good, not because he loved her!”

“I will not be my mother!” Anastacia screamed “I will not be your dirty little secret! You can keep the woman who makes you look good, she can attend all of your events and shit— but you can’t have her
and
me!”

“
Fine!
” Angelo shouted. “Whatever! I’ve already accepted that. I kicked her out, but that’s not enough for you!”

“No, it’s not! You tell you love me, but you have yet to put me first! All you care about is money, business, and your reputation! Sometimes I wish I hadn’t helped you! Sometimes I wish I would have just left you alone! I shouldn’t have stolen that money from the Luchinis and helped you get to America. You’ve become a selfish asshole. I shouldn’t have taught you the ways of my father. Now you are too much like him.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No!” Anastacia yelled, and hurt flashed across her face. “It will never be good for me. Soon you will have to move Cynthia back in with you. You’ll marry her and maybe even have more children. She’s what? 33? She’s young, Angelo. You have to give her children.” Anastacia ran her fingers through her hair. “She does make you look good, doesn’t she? She comes from the perfect political family. She can do much more for you than I can. If you want the front my father had, you need the socialite …” Anastacia’s jaw tightened as she tried to fight off emotions. She locked eyes with Angelo. “We tried,” she whispered, pain lacing her words. “But I can’t go back to being your mistress, Angelo. Not now that I know what it feels like to be loved, truly loved, by a man who put me and my daughter first …”

Angelo tried desperately to endure the pain of his heart breaking. He knew she’d been talking about Robert, and it tore him to pieces. He could put Anastacia first— all she had to do was give him another shot.

“Ana, I just need a little time, and I promise I’ll end it …”

“Please—” Anastacia waved him off. “That’s what you said about Anya. It had been enough time Angelo, but you stayed married to her and used me as your fuck buddy.”

“Ana—”

Anastacia raised her hand to silence him. “Don’t,” she said firmly “You used the money I gave you to start your business. You became successful fast, and you needed a good front. Anya fit as your wife. You could show her off to business partners, and they loved her. I didn’t fit. So you kept me a secret, and I let you.”

Angelo didn’t like where this conversation was going, he didn’t want them to be over. He needed Anastacia. “Ana, I love you …”

“Obviously, love is not enough. But we can save that talk for later …” she said quickly, changing the subject. “We need to focus on Nathan and Carter.”

Angelo nodded, ready to change the subject, too. It was beginning to take a bad turn anyway. “Do you think they’re okay?”

Anastacia sighed and shook her head. “We can only hope so,” was all she said before leaving the room.

***

Thirty minutes later— After the meeting.

Every man in the Salerno crime family stood completely still, too terrified to breathe. The screaming, the begging, and the sounds of knives ripping through flesh had finally died out, and a silence had washed over the room. What transpired in this family meeting would go down in history as the day every man present— both physically and via satellite from Italy and Las Vegas— learned a valuable lesson that each one of them would take very seriously … Do not, under any circumstances, fuck with Mrs. Salerno. Her message had been clear from the moment she walked through the sanctuary doors. Betrayal of any kind would not be tolerated … This day would go down in Salerno family history as the last family meeting to address the subject of betrayal …

Carterina “La pericolosa bellezza” Salerno, aged 23. Fathered by the most notorious hit-man that ever lived, Spook Steele, and mothered by one of the few highly feared and influential woman in the criminal underworld, Anastacia Stone. She is the wife of Nathan “The Russian” Salerno, business man, feared leader of “The Five”, and underboss of the Salerno crime family. Her place in the criminal underworld has been explained simply in her own words … “By my husband’s side” …

Carterina Salerno had taken the throne as the Princess of the Salerno crime family. A title earned, deserved, and taken in the most brutal of ways … the way every title in the criminal world was taken …

***

Thirty minutes earlier— The Meeting.

Nathan and Carter entered the long hallway just as Anastacia and Angelo exited the office, the guys and their men following behind them.

The guards lining the hallway to the sanctuary watched as the underboss and Carterina moved hand in hand down the hallway, a large entourage surrounding them. Nathan Salerno spoke in a low tone as they all walked and listened to his instructions. Men began to file out from behind them to stand alongside the other guards present in the hallway. Mikilo Valente came forward and yelled, “Line up,” while jogging forward toward the doors. He ran past Angelo and Anastacia Stone to stand in front of the large double doors leading to the sanctuary.

Angelo Salerno stood at the doors with Anastacia Stone at his side. They and everyone else watched as Nathan and Carterina stopped in front of the sanctuary doors and turned to face each other. The underboss reached forward and brushed his fingertips along Carterina’s cheek. She turned into his touch, closing her eyes and exhaling softly. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, and everyone heard him whisper his love for her. She immediately pressed her lips against his in a deep, passionate kiss. No one really knew whether they should be watching the exchange, but none could look away. There was something about their kiss, about the way they touched one another. It was … unnerving.

Eventually, the kiss ended, and when Carterina looked up at Nathan, a smile spread across her face and a dangerously beautiful laugh fell from her lips. The underboss looked at her with an evil smirk, confirming everyone’s fear— they had something planned, and only the two of them knew what it was.

Nathan took a step back from Carter as she smoothed the wrinkles from her sleek black pants suit and her black lace undershirt. She removed her jacket, revealing a shoulder holster with two gold knives and a holster around her waist packing five smaller knives.

Nathan nodded to the guys, and they removed their jackets as well, handing them off to the men behind them. He reached into his pants pocket and took out a cell phone. He placed the phone in Carter’s hand, lingering for a moment before releasing her.

Surprising everyone there— except Nathan— Carter asked Mikilo to step aside as she walked forward and opened the double doors of the sanctuary, making it clear to all that she would be taking the lead in this meeting.

Angelo frowned, immediately walking forward and pulling Nathan aside. “What the hell is going on?” he asked in confusion. “I told you to take the lead in this meeting, son. It would be better if Carterina stood at your side. It’s important that the men see you as a leader—”

“The men know exactly who I am,” Nathan interjected. “Carterina’s not going anywhere. She’s going to be in this organization until we pass it on to our children. What’s important is that they see my wife as someone they should never think of fucking with. Not because they’re afraid of me, either, because I won’t always be by her side. They need to see her like this … and so do you …”

Without another word, Nathan turned from his father and joined Carter and the guys.

The men were the first to enter the sanctuary. The massive space was packed with the Capos, soldiers, and a few associates of the Salerno crime family. There were three large screens on the main wall— one showed the men in Italy and another showed the men in Las Vegas. They would be attending the meeting via satellite.

The floor of the sanctuary was a cold, gray stone, and the wall was a steel gray marble. Hundreds of men— and a few women— stood on each side of the room, leaving only a narrow walkway allowing the men to enter and join them.

The boss entered right after his men. When he did, the entire room went silent. Verbal reaction to what they witnessed would not be accepted by Angelo Salerno, and all of them knew it. So although a fear jolted through each of them when Anastacia Stone entered the room alongside the boss, no one said a word or made a sound. Many of the men were gazing upon her for the first time, and some were seeing her again after many years. And then there were the few who were smiling on the inside, happy to be in the presence of their stunning boss once again.

Angelo and Anastacia made their way to the left side of the sanctuary. They took their seats in the bosses’ seating area along with the Capos and invited associates.

After the Angelo was seated, Mikilo Valente stalked into the room. “Step back!” he commanded.

Immediately, they all did as he said, widening the walkway as Carterina Stone entered, the rest of ‘The Five’ in step with her. The underboss was on her left, and Kyle Valente was on her right. Lucca Salerno and Dante Luciano followed closely behind her, boxing her in as they made their way to the lone table in the front center of the room.

The men were unable to contain themselves this time. Shocked gasps echoed in the room when they saw Carterina Stone— alive— looking unscathed from the trauma they all knew she’d endured. The majority of them were happy to see the young woman alive, having mourned her death. But then there were the few men who knew Carterina Stone’s presence here meant absolutely nothing good for them. Giovanni Mancini’s entire body visibly tensed, and he had a sudden urge to run for his life.

Once they had reached the table, Mikilo ran to the back of the room and locked the double doors. He then turned and stood in front of them. His job today was a simple one. If anyone tried to escape, kill them in the most brutal of ways.

Carter strolled up to the table and turned to face the men of the Salerno crime family. A person in her position would normally feel jitters, but Carter was calm and composed. She showed no weakness because she felt none. She was pissed off. And to her surprise, it had nothing to do with confronting the men who had taken her father’s money.

A few minutes ago, Carter had been numb. She couldn’t feel anything because she was still in a state of shock. She had no idea how to react to all the bombs Anastacia had dropped in that motherfucking conference room. But the closer they got to the sanctuary, the more her reaction to the shit entered familiar territory. Carter didn’t know why she hadn’t expected this deadly turn in her emotions. Her reaction had been the same the day she’d witnessed her father’s death. Numbness and emptiness— and then all-consuming rage. Rage so powerful that it could cause one to do uncharacteristically brutal things.

Carter was filled with that same rage now, but this time it was a little different. This rage was accompanied by something still forming within her. She could feel a whisper of it behind the anger. It was an intense … sadness. A sadness twisting her heart into a painful knot. A sadness Carter had no intention of exploring because she dreaded it, feared it. She feared what it would make her do.

She was abruptly jolted from her thoughts when she felt Nathan’s hand on her shoulder. She’d been so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t remember she was standing in front of a large and curious audience. All eyes were on her, and she knew what they were thinking. They looked at her with pity. Like she was broken, fragile, or frightened. They probably thought she’d been weakened after what happened to her. And her mother and Angelo probably thought she wouldn’t be able to conduct the meeting because of what they’d just shared with her.

Carter gave her husband a reassuring wink. She was more than ready for this. She finally began to speak. “Gentleman, ladies …” She turned her gaze to the crowd. “I know you’ve all missed me. There’s no need to hide your excitement. Most of you thought I had died.”