Hush 2: Slow Burn (5 page)

chapter Five

Chaos

Marcus

New York

I can’t believe this shit is happening. Once I dropped the kids off to Mom and Dad’s I rushed to the hospital. Jas had text me to let me know that while Rita was not in the accident, she was physically okay and just upset about Shannon and Petey. Petey was rushed into surgery for internal bleeding.

Shannon was still being attended to with no real news as of yet. I burst through the hospital doors to find my wife pacing. Marie is sitting next to Jas wringing her hands in her lap as Jas massages the back of her neck.

Both Marie and Rita have become so close to Shannon. It has been interesting to see the women in our family and our new extended family become so close. They have become one unit even as they have broken off into little cliques.

Rita, Marie, and Shannon’s trio seems to have come about due to their closeness in age, Shannon being the youngest. Not that they don’t get along or fit in with the older women. You can just tell they have bonded around the common ground.

Jas is the first to spot me and he nods causing his father to take notice that I have arrived. My Uncle-in-law, Earl, seems to be relieved at the sight of me. When Rita turns and runs straight into my arms, I can see why.

Rita is trembling in my arms. I kiss the top of her head and lock my arms around her tightly. My girl is always so strong. It is breaking my heart right now to see her like this. I pull away slightly and look her in the eyes.

“Are you okay,” I ask as I look her over for myself. “You scared the hell out of me. You weren’t in the car?”

I furrow my brows because I am still a bit confused on the details. The accident was all over the news when I dropped Daniel and Hannah off at my parents. All I could get before rushing out the door was that two individuals were being cut out of the car.

“I’m fine. I was outside the car when it happened, talking to you. This was not a random accident. Someone did this and didn’t intend for their target to make it out alive,” Rita says through tight, trembling lips.

I am instantly on high alert. I look over to both Jas and Earl. Earl stands and nods for me to follow him. I kiss Rita on the lips before whispering in her ear.

“Everything is going to be fine,” I say, squeezing her arms gently and moving to follow Earl off to the side.

“This is bad,” Earl says quietly as I stop in front of him. “Thomas is on his way. He is just seeing to a few things. Security is going to be on high alert from here on out. This was not a random hit and it was meant for both Rita and Shannon, we believe.”

“What,” I bellow not remembering where I am. I look around to see a few people gawking but ignore them and step closer to Earl lowering my voice. “What do you mean this was meant for the both of them. Who the fuck is targeting my wife, now?”

“We’re not sure, but we think it is all linked to an incident with Jas, Marie, and Olivia a few months back. Thomas will be here shortly and we can get to the bottom of this sooner rather than later. It seems someone called his phone with a threat on all of our women right before the accident,” Earl sighs.

“Are you shitting me?” I growl in a low voice.

“Not at all, Son, it gets worse. Wyatt Black called Jas. It seems whoever this threat is they’re reaching into his backyard as well targeting his wife,” Earl grumbles.

I run a hand down my face. “This is not good,” I sigh and run a hand through my hair.

“No, it is not. My brother and cousins are already on alert if we need. Your uncles are watching in the wings. This can get ugly really fast,” Earl mutters rubbing his jaw.

I can feel my own jaw tick. My uncles are not to be toyed with. There is a reason my family has the type of security it does and it has little to do with our high-profile clients and cases or the fact that we are wealthy.

You don’t just make friends with families like the Donatis by chance. Our connections run deep, but to be the legit law firm my father and his father and his father’s father wanted they had to hide a few family facts. This is very bad. Someone is starting a fight they won’t be able to finish.

“Does Sam know all of this,” I ask quietly.

Earl gives a silent nod. I sigh again rubbing the back of my neck. Will this family ever have a moment of peace?

“If that girl doesn’t pull through, whoever is behind this won’t have to worry about our family. Some people will be made to hush and I am sure his bride will accompany him for this particular killing spree,” Earl mutters almost to himself.

“God, I need a vacation,” I mumble throwing my head back.

“Look, the doctor is talking to Jas and Rita. Let’s see what is going on,” Earl pats me on the back.

chapter Six

Time for Truth

Luca

In route to New York from London

I just keep hearing Shannon’s voice in my ear. I can’t believe she is hurt somewhere right now and I am clear across the country because of my own stupidity. I should be with her. If I were with her, she would be safe.

I have just had so much on my mind. I am actually the head of the family now. It will be made official in a few weeks with my father and Don Caprisi’s return to the States. It was initially my plan to hide out in London until they both returned. Then I would follow and handle the mess I have made with Shannon.

Taking over the family is a big deal. Honestly, I have always thought in the back of my mind that my father would find a way to give it all over to Uri. I was stunned by his words in Italy. He believes in me.

That matters a lot to me. I may seem spoiled to most, but I have been the way I am because a part of me has always felt like my dad was prouder to have Uri as a nephew than me as a son. I have never been jealous of Uri though.

He was my hero when I was little. Being eight years older than I am, he never did anything wrong in my eyes. Uri has always treated me like I was so much older, one of the cool guys that he hung out with when he decided to hang out with anyone.

This is why no one knows of the real age gap in between us, although, some people may view me as a whiny little brat. This brings me to Pam. I never deserved her. I never should have had a chance.

I see that now more than ever. I mean look at her and her husband. As we sit on this jet trying to get Valentina and me to the States as quickly as possible, I can’t stop watching her.

She looks so happy with her new son in her arms. The way she is looking down at her little boy makes me wonder if she would have looked at our baby the same way. It is when her eyes lift and meet those of the father of her son that I know I am not looking at the woman I once loved.

This is not my Pamela. My Pam never looked at me this way. Sure I believe Pam had love for me, but not this. Her eyes shine with so much love as she looks up at Nathaniel Briggs. It is like they are having a conversation without even speaking.

I turn away only to see the same look on Valentina’s face as she looks at Uri. Uri has little Vita in his arms and I am still floored at how big she has gotten since I have been away. She is seven months old now and absolutely gorgeous.

It is like everyone has moved on with their lives and here I sit still reeling because of the web of lies I have woven. My lies have cost me everything. My unborn child, the woman I loved, and now I may have even lost the woman I am currently gut-twistingly head over heels for.

If I am going to be the head of the family, this has to end. I can’t continue like this. My father is right I need to grow up and be the man he has molded me to be. Not this whiny, arrogant, asshole that I portray to the world. I have been the little cousin of the world’s most lethal killing machine that hides behind that machine’s skirt all too often. I have called on Uri to fix my mess more times than I can count. It stops now!

“I was twenty-two,” I blurt out.

Nate’s head snaps up from nuzzling his son’s head. He is now holding the adorable little boy. My heart squeezes as I come to grips with finally letting what could have been go.

“I want you to know the truth. When I met you, I never thought I had a chance. I was only twenty-two. I lied,” I say holding Pam’s gaze. Her mouth is hanging open as my word sink in.

“What,” she finally gasps out.

“I knew you were older. I could tell by the way you carried yourself. You were nothing like the silly girls I was used to chasing. You were stunning and I had to have you. So when we started to talk and you told me you were twenty – five I lied and told you I was twenty – six,” I say and lick my suddenly dry lips.

“Nate, hand me back the baby so I don’t fly across the plane at him,” Pam says through tight lips.

Nate hands her the baby but keeps his eyes glued on me. I am in no way a punk. I may let Uri fight my battles, but I can handle my own when needed. I have just never needed to. Just my cousin’s name has gotten me out of a lot of shit.

“Why are you telling me this now,” Pam snaps.

“Because I need you to know the truth. I ran when you told me you were pregnant because I didn’t know what to do. I had every intention of coming back to you. I just needed to think. I was just turning twenty – eight when you dropped that bomb on me.

“I wasn’t ready for a baby. I knew I would be getting engaged to Shannon soon and I didn’t know how I was going to support a wife and baby once I told my dad I couldn’t follow through with the proposal. I planned to ask you to marry me. When Uri called me to tell me you lost the baby, I lost my shit.

“I knew it was my fault. I wasn’t there for you. I was too busy trying to find my balls to tell my dad what I needed to do,” I run my hand through my hair as I shake my head.

“You didn’t look like you were planning shit to me. You looked relieved,” Pam hisses at me.

“Pam, I was. Not that you lost our baby, but I was relieved that I wasn’t going to have to disappoint you when you found out I had nothing. Without my family, I have a few pennies, but I don’t have the kind of money you had come accustom to,” I sigh in frustration.

“You sound like an ass. No, you sound like a boy. I was fucking a boy,” Pam sneers. “I had my own money, you idiot. I loved you and not because of your money. If you were paying half attention to what was going on around you instead of being self-centered, you would have known that I had my own and didn’t need a thing from you. So you can shove that excuse up your ass where it belongs.”

“Do you understand how proud a man I am? I couldn’t just live off of you. I couldn’t burden you with taking care of our family. You are right I was a boy. I was a boy trying to hold on to a woman that he should have never had.

“I just needed you to know. I hoped that if you knew you would understand that you were always out of my league. I was always fighting an uphill battle trying to love a woman when I was just becoming a man,” I say and look away.

Uri gives me a stern look. I know what is coming. I never told him I lied about my age. I know he always wondered how I managed to land a woman like Pam. She was the first woman I ever got to be myself with. Shannon is the only other and hopefully the last.

I close my eyes and beg for her to be okay when we get there. I just need to get to her.
I’m coming, Baby. Hold on.
The look Pam gives Nate and the look on Valentina’s face, when she looks at Uri, is exactly the look Shannon gives me.

I have been such a fool. Still acting like a boy. I swear if Shannon makes it through this I will be a better man. I will love her the way she deserves. I will bend hell in half to make her happy and give her the love she deserves.

“Bella, if I had known this was the rubbish he was telling you I would have given you the truth,” Uri says tightly to Pam.

Pam sighs heavily and I turn back to her. She shakes her head as if she is clearing it. “I can’t blame it all on him. I allowed his crap for seven years. There are times I questioned the level of his maturity and yet I remained in the relationship,” Pam pauses and glares at me. She points a finger. “You better love that woman like your life depends on it. I swear to you, Luca. If you hurt Shannon any more than you already have, I will cut your balls off and feed them to you after I sew your butt shut.”

Nate bursts into laughter and kisses the top of Pam’s head. He then looks over at me. “I plan to help her,” he says with laughter in his eyes.

Uri and Valentina are trying not to laugh, but it is not working. Valentina snorts and buries her face in Uri's shoulder. I shrug my shoulders and sit back in my seat.

“For the record, I never cheated on you and I did love you. I just know now that we’re both meant to love someone else more. I love Shannon and I owed her more than a man who had a lie riding on his back from the past.

“I needed this. I needed closure. To know I came clean. I hurt you and I am sorry for it all, but you found the better man for you. Even if Shannon and I were only supposed to be an arrangement, in the beginning, I fell in love with her and I plan to show her,” I say as I run my finger over the picture I have of Shannon on my phone.

“You better, because Uri is not going to be able to talk me out of killing you next time. I will be there to finish what Pam starts,” Valentina winks at me.

Uri just stifles a laugh and pecks his wife on her lips. I shake my head and turn for the window once again, getting lost in my thoughts.
Shit is about to change.