LEO
Leo Toscano; 33. Haven Romano; 23.
Sitting at a table in Nicolo Romano’s backyard for the man’s sixtieth birthday, I’m tired as fuck. Everyone’s dressed as if they’re attending a fucking presidential ball.
“Just another thirty minutes, then we can head home,” Massimo, my right-hand man, murmurs beside me.
Letting out a huff, I glance over the guests. I recognize most of the people, most of them giving me cautious looks. My gaze comes to a stop on Nicolo. Watching him laugh makes the urge to kill him grow deep inside my gut.
I’ve hated the man since I was sixteen because my gut tells me the fucker played a role in the attack that changed my life for the worse. But, I can’t kill Nicolo until I have solid proof, and it grinds against my soul that I haven’t been able to find any.
After I survived the assassination attempt, it was to learn my father had been killed. Just like me, my mother survived the gunshot wounds meant to kill her.
While I suffered a crippling blow, Romano tried to take over the organization, but Massimo was a powerhouse none of the fuckers saw coming. My guard ran the organization and taught me everything I know until I was able to take over as the head of the Italian mafia. Now he’s my right-hand man and the only person I trust one hundred percent.
He saved me in more ways than one. Without him, I wouldn’t have survived the attack and the harrowing years that followed.
I lost my best friend and his parents during the attack, and Carina vanished without a trace.
Carina. Stellina mia.
Even after seventeen years, my heart still squeezes painfully in my chest. Not knowing what happened to the precious little girl, who held my heart in her tiny palm, will haunt me until the day I die.
If it weren’t for the photo I have of her and Diego, which has an honorable position on my bedside table, I would’ve forgotten what she looked like over the years. I was also able to take a few things like Carina’s stuffed unicorn, Bella, from the Messinas’ house. Every once in a while, I look at everything, wondering what things would’ve been like if the Messinas hadn’t been killed because of me.
“Did you get a gift for your mother’s birthday?” Massimo asks.
My eyes flick to him. “I got her a shit load of those diamond-dot things she loves.” She has an unhealthy obsession with that hobby of hers. She framed a few and tried to get me to hang them on my walls, but that’s where I put my foot down. So now she donates them to the local charity.
He lifts his eyebrow at me. “Is that all?”
“No. I also got Mamma the handbag she asked for.” I glance around at the festivities again. “What did you get?”
“Perfume.”
I let out a chuckle because he gets her the same thing every year.
After the attack, I only had Mamma and Massimo. The three of us had to build a new life together. My mother lives on her own, not too far from Massimo. I wanted her to stay with me, but she refused, saying we both needed our privacy to do our own thing.
While I stare at a group of women who are dressed to the nines, my thoughts jump from one topic to the next.
Suddenly, Massimo asks, “Are you thinking about marrying Liliana?”
Drawn out of my deep thoughts, I give him a what-the-fuck look and grunt, “Huh?”
“You’re staring at her and her friends.”
There’s no fucking way I’ll ever tie myself to Nicolo’s only daughter. Shaking my head, I check the time on my wristwatch. “You know I’m not interested in getting married, and even if she were the last woman on Earth, I wouldn’t consider her.”
“Are you enjoying yourself, Leo?” Giada, Nicolo’s wife, asks as she comes up behind me.
“Of course,” I murmur politely, glancing up at her as she comes to a stop beside my chair.
There’s a woman I haven’t seen before at Giada’s side, and before I can wonder who she is, Giada says, “I’d like to introduce you to Dakota. She’s Santo’s widow.”
Not recognizing the name, I mutter, “Santo? Should I know who that is?”
She playfully touches my shoulder while letting out a chuckle, which annoys the living fuck out of me. “Nicolo’s brother. He died of a heart attack recently, so Dakota and her daughter came to visit us.”
This is such a fucking waste of my time, but remaining polite, I just smile at the women.
Honestly, I wasn’t aware Nicolo had a brother.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Dakota says with an American accent.
“Likewise,” I murmur, before glancing at Massimo and adding, “As much as we’re enjoying the evening, we have to go.”
Giada’s face falls. “Are you sure? It’s still early.”
As we climb to our feet, Massimo says, “We have a meeting to attend.”
Yeah, the only meeting I have tonight is with my bed.
I give the women a nod before we walk toward Nicolo. When he sees I’m heading in his direction, he quickly excuses himself from the couple he’s talking to.
“Don’t tell me you’re leaving,” he says with a tumbler of whiskey in his hand.
“I have a meeting,” I give him the excuse Massimo came up with.
“Such a pity.”
Yeah, right.
I stare at him for a few seconds before I murmur, “Enjoy the rest of your party, Nicolo. Tell Luciano I’ll see him on Tuesday, and he better not be late.”
“He’ll be there.”
A look of warning tightens my features. “He better.”
Walking away from Nicolo, we head toward the veranda, and as we enter the house, a young woman I’ve never seen before comes down the stairs.
Her brown hair has blonde highlights, and she has big, brown eyes that make her look fucking beautiful. She’s wearing a shimmering pink dress that fits her full body like a second skin. Desire ignites in me as I take in every sexy and fuckable inch of her.
Christ. Wouldn’t mind having her in my bed for one night.
Those big brown eyes of hers lock with mine, and I feel a punch to my gut. There’s an innocent air about her, which is something you don’t find easily in my world.
The image of those big eyes staring up at me as I fuck her senseless has a fine layer of sweat breaking out over my body, and my cock hardens at the most inconvenient time.
“Haven,” I hear Liliana call from behind me, making a smile spread over the woman’s face. When a dimple appears in her left cheek, a stab of pain squeezes my heart, and the burst of desire vanishes real fucking fast.
Carina had a dimple like that.
“Our moms want to take a photo with us,” Liliana says. “You look so gorgeous in that dress.”
“Thanks,” Haven replies, her eyes darting to me.
When she sees I’m looking at her, she quickly smiles at Liliana again, a nervous expression tightening her features slightly.
I rip my eyes away from the beautiful woman and walk toward the front door.
She must think I’m out of hearing distance, but I can hear when she asks in a soft tone, “Who’s the man in the blue suit?”
Hmm. American accent. She’s probably Liliana’s cousin.
“Leo Toscano,” Liliana answers, her voice tense with caution. “Hot as hell, but not someone you want to get involved with. Come, let’s go.”
“Hot is the understatement of the year,” Haven murmurs.
The corner of my mouth lifts as I leave the mansion and take the steps down to the driveway.
“Hot as hell,” Massimo scoffs before chuckling.
“I can’t help that women throw themselves at me.”
He rolls his eyes as we reach the Ferrari. “Next time I have to attend anything with you, bring the Porsche. I struggle to get in and out of this fucking car.”
“Old man,” I taunt him while opening the driver’s side door.
Folding his body in half to get into the sports car, he grumbles, “Old man, my ass.”
Massimo is the furthest thing from an old man, but I like to give him shit. He’s one of the best fighters I know, and he never misses a shot. The man is nothing short of a killing machine, and I’m lucky to have him by my side.
Once I’m seated behind the steering wheel, I press the button and the engine roars to life. I steer the Ferrari past all the other cars, then mention, “I wasn’t aware Nicolo had a brother.”
“If I remember correctly, the brother left Italy to live in the US when he was young. The family was upset because he married an American woman and didn’t want anything to do with the business.”
His phone beeps, and it has him struggling to pull the device out of his pocket. He reads the message, then says, “Franca says the kids want pizza. Will you stop at Basile’s?”
“Sure.”
Massimo married Franca the year I took over as head of the mafia. She’s the only woman he has eyes for, and she has him wrapped around her pinky.
Even though I’m twelve years younger than Massimo, he’s made me Leandro and Amara’s godfather. I love the kids like they’re my own.
I listen as he calls the local pizzeria and places an order so it’s ready for us to collect on the way home. Tucking his phone back into his pocket, he asks, “What were we talking about?”
“Nicolo’s brother.”
“Right. I think the woman we saw coming down the stairs is Nicolo’s niece.” He glances at me. “Santo’s daughter.”
“I guessed as much, but it’s difficult to believe,” I mutter as I take a left at a set of traffic lights. “Haven looked nothing like the American that Giada introduced us to, and I assume Santo resembled Nicolo.”
“Liliana didn’t turn out too bad, and she’s a Romano.”
“Liliana got her good looks from Giada.”
“True.” He shrugs. “Maybe the niece takes after an aunt or uncle on her mother’s side?”
“Yeah.” As I drive toward the coast, Haven’s beautiful face pops into my mind. I’ve seen my fair share of gorgeous women, but there’s just something about her that draws and holds my attention. It’s actually unsettling.
It’s her big brown eyes that are filled with a world of innocence.
And the dimple.
“She must’ve made one hell of an impression on you for you to remember her name,” Massimo teases.
“I might not be interested in a relationship, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind.” Shaking my head, I force my thoughts away from the woman and think about the upcoming attack on Vito Santoro. “Do you think Luciano will come on Tuesday?”
He shrugs. “We’ll have to wait and see.” His eyes flick to me. “What do we do if the fucker chickens out?”
The corner of my mouth lifts. “Kill him. It will give me the reason I’ve been looking for to take out Nicolo as well.”
“There’s no proof Nicolo was involved with the attack on your family,” Massimo says for what must be the hundredth time.
“He was the first person who tried to take over control of the organization.” My gaze flicks to Massimo. “Hours after my father was killed.” I turn my attention back to the road as we pass a few stores that are already closed for the night. “If that bastard were loyal to my father, like he claimed to be, he would’ve backed you instead of being a conniving asshole.”
Massimo sighs and gestures at the side of the road near Basile’s Pizzeria. “Park there.”
Just as I bring my Ferrari to a stop, Alfio, the owner, comes rushing toward us with the box in his hands.
Massimo lets down his window and gives the man a thankful smile as he takes the pizza. “Thanks, Alfio. I’ll settle the tab at the end of the month.”
“Any time. Give my regards to Franca,” the old man says before heading to where people are seated at tables out on the sidewalk.
The smell of grilled cheese and tomato fills the cab, and I press the button on the side of my door to let down my window as well. I don’t want my car smelling like pizza for the next few days.
Massimo opens the box and helps himself to a slice. When there’s a long string of cheese, I mutter, “Don’t make a mess in my car.”
“Yeah-yeah.” He takes a massive bite before grinning at me. “Want some?”
I shake my head, and just to fuck with him, I floor the gas and the sports car shoots down the narrow road with one hell of a roar.
He clings to the box while glaring at me, and when I take the turn up the road he lives on, he mutters, “Franca is going to kill you.”
I quickly slow down, which has him laughing at me.
I steer my car through the gates of his property, and when I stop by the front door, it opens, and Leandro comes darting barefoot out of the mansion.
Before Massimo can open the door, Leandro reaches through the open window and grabs the box. “Hey, Zio Leo.”
He rushes back inside, and Massimo grumbles, “The little shit will eat me out of the fucking house.”
“He’s a growing boy,” I stand up for my godson.
My right-hand man gets out of the car and leans down to look at me. “I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow for the meeting with Luigi.”
“Okay.”
Franca appears in the doorway and waves at me. I return the way, then reply, “Have a good night.”
Massimo pats the roof of my car. “You, too. Message me as soon as you’re home.”
“It’s only ten minutes.” He gives me a pointed look that has me sighing, “Fine.”
I make a U-turn and slowly steer my Ferrari back down the driveway and out the gates.
I don’t take in any of the other mansions in the neighborhood, and they soon fall behind me. Driving along the stretch of road that curves around the hillside, there’s a scenic view of the moon shining over the ocean on my left.
As I near the only entrance to my secluded property, the heavy gates swing open, and I give my two guards, Edoardo and Jacopo, a chin lift. Pulling the Ferrari into one of the garages, the engine’s roar is loud for a moment before I switch it off.
I get out and walk to the door that connects the garages to the mansion. As I enter the kitchen, I shrug off my jacket. I’m greeted by silence that’s only broken by the faint roar of the ocean while I walk toward the living room, lights automatically coming on as I move through my place.
There are expansive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dark water and my private beach. Dropping the jacket over the back of my gray, suede couch, I head for the side table, which is decorated with two crystal tumblers and a decanter filled with my favorite Scotch whiskey.
I pour myself some of the amber liquid, but before I can take a sip, my phone vibrates, and I chuckle as I pull the device out.
Massimo: Are you home?
Leo: Yes. Just walked in.
Massimo: Good.
I take a sip of the whiskey, loving how it burns down my throat, then sigh when another message comes through.
Dominik: Will you be at the meeting on Wednesday?
Two years ago, I formed an alliance with four of the most powerful people in the world. Dominik Varga, the biggest arms dealer, and Santiago Castro, who charges a fuck-ton for extracting people from dangerous situations and giving them new identities. There’s also Cassia Dimitriou, the head of the Greek mafia, and last but not least, Enzo, who’s in charge of a syndicate in Portugal.
We all invested in an island off the coast of Chile that’s more like a resort with state-of-the-art security.
Even though I’ve known them for a while, I wouldn’t say I’m friends with any of them. I know Dominik and Santiago are pretty good friends, but Cassia, Enzo, and I keep to ourselves. We only interact for business.
Honestly, Massimo is the closest thing I have to a friend since Diego was killed. I’ve avoided getting close to anyone else since I lost my best friend and his family.
Walking to one of the couches, I sit down and type out a reply.
Leo: I won’t be able to make it in person. I have business to take care of. I’ll attend via video.
Dominik: Everyone’s busy lately. Enzo and Cassia are also attending via video. I’ll send you the link for the meeting. Anything I can help with on your side?
Leo: No, but thanks. I’ll talk to you on Wednesday. Give my regards to Grace.
Dominik: Will do.
I finish the whiskey in the tumbler before getting up and moving back to the windows. Moonlight shines over the ocean, and I watch as waves crash against the rocks on either side of my private beach.
My thoughts turn to the impending attack on Vito Santoro, who’s been very vocal about taking me out so he can rule in my stead. I’ve had enough and have decided to take the fight to him.
Next week is going to be intense, but there’s no backing out now. I’m going to make an example of Santoro, and if Luciano doesn’t show up to help with the attack, I’ll make an example of the Romanos as well.
The only way to stay at the top is by ruling with coldhearted brutality.
It’s either that or I’ll end up six feet under in a box, and I plan to outlive all my fucking enemies.
