QUIET EMPIRE (Quiet Mafia #4)

Chapter Two-1

I watched as my mother’s eyes drained of life, her head slumped to the side, and her hand went slack in mine. I placed her still warm hand on her stomach and shifted my weight back on my heels as her words spun in my head. I looked up at Francisco, the gun hung as though heavy in his hand. His horrified expression told me this kill would haunt him forever.

“She could have killed you,” he whispered, and I nodded, knowing he was right. Mama had been determined to hurt the Capri family, to make them pay for what she thought they’d done. It was only a matter of time before she succeeded. “I’m so sorry, Sienna.”

“Don’t be.” I stood, brushing the dirt from my knees. “You’ve done enough for me. I’m only sorry that you had to be the one to… to do it. I know you loved her.”

He gave me a tight nod, then he stood and walked to Piero. He handed him the gun and continued to walk away.

“Sienna?” Andrea’s soft voice found me. “Cuoricino, are you all right?” I looked at Elio’s pale face as I took a moment. He didn’t approach.

“I think…” I paused as I remembered my mother’s last words. They repeated over and over inside my head. “I think I’d like to go inside.”

“That’s a very good idea,” she said as she placed her hands on my shoulders and steered me in that direction.

Elio moved then. He stepped in our path and stood tall and dark. He didn’t speak right away, so I looked up and noted his ticking jaw.

“What did she say to you?” His voice was cold and distant. Some might have been upset that he hadn’t asked how I was, but I knew him better than that. Clearly, I was fine. The fact that someone had slipped by his people and tried to hurt us would have been heavy on his mind.

“She said Oscar killed my father.”

“Mm,” he grunted, and I could only imagine what was running through his head.

Something strange passed through me, as if the wind took a sudden change of direction and sent a breeze of cold air over me. The hair on my arms stood to attention.

I felt the fear just as shadows emerged from the tree line all around us. I reached out for Elio’s arm.

“Who are they?” I whispered as a stillness draped around us. All that could be heard was the sound of flexed leather as their weapons were being drawn.

“Elio.” Piero pushed Andrea next to me, and the two men created a bubble of protection. “Four.”

“I see six,” Elio responded.

“There are another two behind the one in red,” I croaked and swallowed through a dry mouth, hoping I was helping.

“Just like Sicily,” Piero said harshly.

Niccola and Vinni gave their count, and I felt Elio tug on my arm to move me closer behind him.

“Vinni, take Sienna. Niccola, take Mama,” Elio ordered.

“Yes, boss.” Vinni reached out for my arm, and as much as I didn’t want to leave Elio in this crazy scene from a zombie movie, I hesitated but knew I had to move. “Come on, Sienna.”

“Take this.” Elio, whose gaze never left the men who were walking toward us at a slow, steady pace, handed me a knife. “Always aim for the inner thigh and then under the arm. Don’t stop until they stop moving.”

“I love you,” I breathed in his ear and grabbed the knife as Vinni shouted to run. As soon as we started to run, a frenzy broke out and everyone began to move fast. There was shouting, and bullets began to fly. The sound of it all sent the birds into a frenzy, and they took off into the sky in sheer panic. Some men were closing in on us as we veered off toward the cars.

“Come on!” I could hardly hear Vinni but saw his mouth moving. Andrea, who was just a few feet from me, pumped her arms at her sides as she suddenly tripped over a rock and tumbled to the ground. I quickly pivoted and went for her, but Niccola shoved my shoulder, sending me toward Vinni again.

“Go with Vinni!” he shouted as he scooped up Andrea and basically carried her off in a different direction toward a vehicle. So many things were going on at once. I frantically looked back. All I wanted to do was see if Elio was all right. Niccola shouted something as he nearly tossed Andrea into the car. Vinni was a few feet ahead of me and made it to the car first and opened the door. He shouted at me to move it. I was almost to the car when Bang! Vinni’s face twisted in horror, and I followed his gaze toward his brother.

Niccola had been hit. Andrea jumped out of the car and dragged Niccola inside. Then, with her in the driver’s seat, they peeled off down the driveway.

In those same seconds, someone grabbed Vinni and sucker punched him in the face, and I was grabbed from behind and dropped the knife.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you,” the man grunted into my ear.

My fight or flight kicked in, and I lost it. As I leaned forward like I was falling, I sent my elbow backward hard and drove it into his ribs, and he let go on a woosh of air. I kicked back and got him in the crotch. I spun around and used the palm of my hand and drilled it into his nose. Then someone grabbed me and pushed me to the ground. I flipped over and managed to get my knee between me and the new attacker. With all my might, I kicked upward and was able to knock him off balance just enough to wiggle free from his hold. I flipped on my stomach and scrambled desperately to get onto my feet, only to have his hand wrap around my ankle and yank me back onto the ground again. I hit my jaw with a loud c***k. My ears rang, and my vision blurred, but my subconscious screamed at me to stay focused, and I had a strong will to live. One of the men crawled on top of me and pushed my face into the dirt.

“No!” I screamed as my feet and arms kicked and pushed up desperately as he tried to pin my arms. I looked to the side and saw Elio racing toward me, then he suddenly stopped, and the man let go of me and fell beside me with blood running from his head. I was lifted off the ground from behind and pushed into the back of a car.

Panic ripped through me. I looked desperately back toward Elio, only to see him give a quick nod, then he turned and shot at the men coming up behind him.

“Belt,” Francesco barked from the driver’s seat. I didn’t even realize I was obeying until he looked at me from the rearview mirror with a worried expression. “Are you hurt?”

“No,” I huffed, trying to catch my breath. My face hurt like hell, and I reached up and touched my jaw. “What about Niccola?” I felt tears prickle but chased them away, I needed to be strong. Niccola was like a brother to me; I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose him. I knew how close he was to everyone else, too.

“Gain got to him. He’s on his way with Andrea back to the Hill House.”

“Hill House? He should be going to the hospital.”

“There are doctors and a whole operating room in the basement, Sienna. He’ll have the best care.”

“Jesus.” I covered my face, trying to get my head on straight. What a rollercoaster today had been. “Who were those guys?”

“I don’t know, but I have my theories.”

“Do you think it was Greta?” He took a turn hard, and I had to hold on to the door and seat to keep from sliding around.

“No,” he finally said, “I don’t. Right now, I need to drive and get us out of here in one piece.”

I sat back in the seat and held on as I tried to stop my head from spinning out of control. This was crazy. My mother was dead, we’d been attacked by God knew who, Niccola was shot, and I had no idea if Elio and the rest of them were okay. My hands twisted between my legs, trying to hide my shakes. My arms and legs were filthy, and my dress was wet from rolling about on the damp ground. My mind kept going back to try to make sense out of it all.

Once we got onto the open highway and merged with the other cars, I took my first deep breath. Francesco had an earpiece in, and it sounded like he was talking to someone. He was speaking quietly as his eyes flicked to the mirrors every few seconds.

After a little while more of driving, I grew impatient with the murmurs that were too low for me to hear. I wanted to know what his plan was. I removed my shoes, tossed them in the front seat, then climbed over the seat, careful not to bump Francesco’s arm as he held the wheel. He eyed me as I situated myself and clicked the belt across my chest. He finished his call and glanced at me.

“You’ll keep me in the loop with Niccola?” I asked quietly, and he nodded. “Are Andrea and Vinni all right?”

“Yes, they are.”

“Good, and the rest?”

“I’m waiting for a call.” I noticed he stretched his fingers on the wheel, and I knew he was just as nervous as I was. He didn’t know what was going on either.

“Okay.” I rolled my arm to inspect my throbbing elbow. “I appreciate your help back there.”

“I’m just glad I was there in time.”

“Me too,” I agreed, hoping I still had some fight left in me if I needed it. “Where are we going?”

“We need to keep moving until told otherwise.”

I eyed him, wondering what that meant. “Am I being tracked?”

He held up a finger and answered the phone that went straight to his earpiece.

“Remember to let me know if you hear anything. I need to know if he’s okay.”

He nodded.

That was all I got from Francesco as he took multiple calls, and I found my head shutting down, needing to reset. I pulled a suit jacket from the back seat and carefully folded it to use as a pillow against the window. I wasn’t sure how far away we were from wherever we were going, but I knew if I was going to keep it together, I needed some sleep. I closed my eyes and drifted off to the sound of the engine.

* * *

The sun was just starting to set by the time Francesco nudged me awake. He looked the way I felt. Drained physically and mentally. He came around and opened my door, took the makeshift pillow, and draped it over my shoulders.

He whisked me past the hotel’s receptionist and into the elevator then hit the button for the top floor. I wondered if we looked funny checking in without any luggage. I caught my reflection in the only shiny spot of the worn double doors and cringed inwardly at my appearance. I looked like I’d been scraped up off the side of the road. Oh, wait, that was pretty much what had happened to me. I closed my eyes at my sad joke and decided some big changes needed to happen. I refused to go backward because of the choices I’d made up until now. I’d worked incredibly hard not to be that person, all battered and full of secrets and sins. I stood up straight.

“Have you spoken to Elio?” I whispered through a sore jaw.

“No, not yet.”

“I need to know when you do.”

“I promise.”

I nodded as we shot upward in the tiny box.

Thankfully, the walk from the elevator to the room wasn’t far, just two doors down. Once inside, I was surprised at how large it was. My impression so far hadn’t been great, but it was a nice room. Perhaps the darkness had made it seem small and rundown from the outside.

Bed called my name, but at the same time I was wired and full of confusion.

“Shower is over there.” He pointed to a room tucked in a corner. “I’m going to order us some food, and we’ll figure the rest from there.”

“All right.” I liked the sound of that and disappeared into the bathroom.

The water was hot and soothed the aches and scrapes from this morning. I scrubbed my nails and the dirt from my hair and took a few moments to collect myself under the heavy steam.

Once I was dried off, I slipped on the robe that hung on the back of the door and ran my fingers through my hair. How I wished I had my toiletries.

I rubbed some of the complementary lotion over my skin then left the still steamy bathroom.

I heard talking and waited for what I hoped was the person from room service to leave before I entered the main room. Francesco was alone and sat nursing a cup of espresso in one of the common room chairs.